wrong

[ rawng, rong ]

/ rɔŋ, rɒŋ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR wrong ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

not in accordance with what is morally right or good: a wrong deed.

deviating from truth or fact; erroneous: a wrong answer.

not correct in action, judgment, opinion, method, etc., as a person; in error: You are wrong to blame him.

not proper or usual; not in accordance with requirements or recommended practice: the wrong way to hold a golf club.

out of order; awry; amiss: Something is wrong with the machine.

not suitable or appropriate: He always says the wrong thing.

(of clothing) that should be worn or kept inward or under: You're wearing the sweater wrong side out.

noun

that which is wrong, or not in accordance with morality, goodness, or truth; evil: I committed many wrongs.

an injustice: The wrongs they suffered aged them.

Law.

an invasion of another's right, to his damage.
a tort.

adverb

in a wrong manner; not rightly; awry; amiss: You did it wrong again.

verb (used with object)

to do wrong to; treat unfairly or unjustly; harm.

to impute evil to (someone) unjustly; malign.

QUIZZES

BEAT THE DOLDRUMS WITH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

We know you’ll tackle this quiz totis viribus! See how many words from the week of Oct 12–18, 2020 you get right!

Question 1 of 7

What does “Indigenous” mean?

characterized by cleverness or originality of invention or construction.

carried on abroad, or with other countries.

relating to or being a people who are the original, earliest known inhabitants of a region, or are their descendants.

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Idioms for wrong

get in wrong, Slang. to cause to come into disfavor: We are forever getting in wrong with the people next door.

go wrong,

to go amiss; fail: Everything is going wrong today.
to pursue an immoral course; become depraved: Bad friends caused him to go wrong.

in the wrong, to blame; in error: He knew he was in the wrong but refused to concede the point.

Origin of wrong

before 1100; (adj.) Middle English wrong, wrang,Old English wrang, perhaps <Old Danish wrang; compare Danish vrang wrong, Old Norse rangr awry; (v. and adv.) Middle English, derivative of the adj.; (noun) Middle English; Old English wrang, derivative of the adj.; akin to wring

SYNONYMS FOR wrong

1 bad, evil, wicked, sinful, immoral, iniquitous, reprehensible; crooked.

2 inaccurate, incorrect, false, untrue, mistaken.

6 improper, unsuitable.

8 misdeed, immorality, wickedness, sin, vice.

12 maltreat, abuse, oppress, cheat, defraud, dishonor.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR wrong ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM wrong

wronger, nounwrongly, adverbwrongness, nounquasi-wrong, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH wrong

wrong , wrongful

Words nearby wrong

written, Written Law, W.R.N.S., wrnt., Wrocław, wrong, wrongdoer, wrongdoing, wronged, wrong font, wrong-foot

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for wrong

Wharton School professor Adam Grant has spent a lot of time studying what’s wrong with job interviews.
The startup Adam Grant is betting on to fix bias in hiring is out of stealth mode|Sarah Todd|September 15, 2020|Quartz
It was generated by researchers to illustrate what can go wrong when you try to classify people as responders or non-responders based on a single set of measurements.
Why Altitude Training Helps Some but Not Others|Alex Hutchinson|September 11, 2020|Outside Online
Rather, the history of science is full of mistakes and wrong turns.
A secret of science: Mistakes boost understanding|Rachel Kehoe|September 10, 2020|Science News For Students
Hemmerling emailed the person back saying she had been ticketed under the wrong code section and would not have to pay or go to court.
Those Ticketed for Seditious Language Say Their Only Crime Was Talking Back|Kate Nucci|September 9, 2020|Voice of San Diego

Most of us, most of the time, think and act as though there are facts about good and bad, right and wrong.
The Universe Knows Right from Wrong - Issue 89: The Dark Side|Philip Goff|September 9, 2020|Nautilus
But Cosby Truthers are applying their principles to the wrong cause.
Phylicia Rashad and the Cult of Cosby Truthers|Stereo Williams|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Andy Serkis, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Do you want to be on the wrong side of history, Academy?
Oscars 2015: The Daily Beast’s Picks, From Scarlett Johansson to ‘Boyhood’|Marlow Stern|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Yes, publicizing tragedy gets clicks, gets ad revenue, gets notoriety, and can be done for all the wrong reasons.
Cover-Ups and Concern Trolls: Actually, It's About Ethics in Suicide Journalism|Arthur Chu|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The only great thing he did as governor was to insist that the death penalty was just wrong.
Mario Cuomo: An OK Governor, but a Far Better Person|Michael Tomasky|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It would definitely be wrong for TLC to encourage us to gawk at these men but their story is worth investigating nonetheless.
Your Husband Is Definitely Gay: TLC’s Painful Portrait of Mormonism|Samantha Allen|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Perhaps I was wrong to lose my temper and threaten him, but I am half mad.
An American Suffragette|Isaac N. Stevens
How are we to know what is right and wrong, and what are our motives for approving and disapproving the good and the bad?
The Life of Sir James Fitzjames Stephen, Bart., K.C.S.I.|Sir Leslie Stephen
A common explanation is that the scribe mistook numerals in the MS. before him and wrote the wrong figures.
Lives of SS. Declan and Mochuda|Anonymous
To keep silence about so monstrous a wrong as this merely because the subject is a tabooed one was not possible to Brieux.
Three Plays by Brieux|Eugne Brieux
"You are all wrong," said Audrey, and lighted a fresh cigaret.
Dangerous Days|Mary Roberts Rinehart

British Dictionary definitions for wrong

wrong

/ (rɒŋ) /

adjective

not correct or truthfulthe wrong answer

acting or judging in erroryou are wrong to think that

(postpositive) immoral; badit is wrong to cheat

deviating from or unacceptable to correct or conventional laws, usage, etc

not intended or wantedthe wrong road

(postpositive) not working properly; amisssomething is wrong with the engine

US (of a side, esp of a fabric) intended to face the inside so as not to be seen

get on the wrong side of or US get in wrong with informal to come into disfavour with

go down the wrong way (of food) to pass into the windpipe instead of the gullet

adverb

in the wrong direction or manner

go wrong

to turn out other than intended
to make a mistake
(of a machine, etc) to cease to function properly
to go astray morally

get wrong

to fail to understand properly
to fail to provide the correct answer to

noun

a bad, immoral, or unjust thing or action

law

an infringement of another person's rights, rendering the offender liable to a civil action, as for breach of contract or torta private wrong
a violation of public rights and duties, affecting the community as a whole and actionable at the instance of the Crowna public wrong

in the wrong mistaken or guilty

verb (tr)

to treat unjustly

to discredit, malign, or misrepresent

to seduce or violate

Derived forms of wrong

wronger, nounwrongly, adverbwrongness, noun

Word Origin for wrong

Old English wrang injustice, from Old Norse vrang; see wring

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with wrong

wrong

see back the wrong horse; bark up the wrong tree; do someone wrong; get someone wrong; get up on the wrong side of bed; go wrong; in the wrong; on the right (wrong) foot; on the right (wrong) tack; right (wrong) side of the tracks; rub the wrong way; take the wrong way; two wrongs do not make a right.

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wrong

adjective

noun

adverb

verb (used with object)

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Idioms for wrong

Origin of wrong

SYNONYMS FOR wrong

OTHER WORDS FROM wrong

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH wrong

Words nearby wrong

Example sentences from the Web for wrong

British Dictionary definitions for wrong

adjective

adverb

noun

verb (tr)

Derived forms of wrong

Word Origin for wrong

Idioms and Phrases with wrong

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

wrong

adjective

noun

adverb

verb (used with object)

QUIZZES

BEAT THE DOLDRUMS WITH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

Idioms for wrong

Origin of wrong

SYNONYMS FOR wrong

OTHER WORDS FROM wrong

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH wrong

Words nearby wrong

Words related to wrong

Example sentences from the Web for wrong

British Dictionary definitions for wrong

adjective

adverb

noun

verb (tr)

Derived forms of wrong

Word Origin for wrong

Idioms and Phrases with wrong