wrong
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.
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.
in a wrong manner; not rightly; awry; amiss: You did it wrong again.
to do wrong to; treat unfairly or unjustly; harm.
to impute evil to (someone) unjustly; malign.
Idioms about 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
1Other words 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 |
Other words from wrong
- wronger, noun
- wrongly, adverb
- wrongness, noun
- quasi-wrong, adjective
Words that may be confused with wrong
- wrong , wrongful
Words Nearby wrong
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use wrong in a sentence
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 | QuartzIt 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 OnlineRather, 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 StudentsHemmerling 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 DiegoMost 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 | THE DAILY BEASTAndy 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 | THE DAILY BEASTYes, 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 | THE DAILY BEASTToo bad director Ava DuVernay gets the history wrong in Selma.
Dr. King Goes to Hollywood: The Flawed History of ‘Selma’ | Gary May | January 2, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTThe 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 | THE DAILY BEASTHe asked what time was usually spent in determining between right and wrong, and what degree of expense?
Gulliver's Travels | Jonathan SwiftTo see a part of my scheme, from which I had hoped so much, go wrong before my eyes is maddening!
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I | Ian HamiltonSo far as the right or wrong of having contraband whisky was concerned, I don't think any one gave it a second thought.
Raw Gold | Bertrand W. SinclairStrange to say, the silken cord yielded to the first pull, as if nothing had been wrong with it at all!
The Giant of the North | R.M. BallantyneOf Liszt the first part of this is not true, for if he strikes a wrong note it is simply because he chooses to be careless.
Music-Study in Germany | Amy Fay
British Dictionary definitions for wrong
/ (rɒŋ) /
not correct or truthful: the wrong answer
acting or judging in error: you are wrong to think that
(postpositive) immoral; bad: it is wrong to cheat
deviating from or unacceptable to correct or conventional laws, usage, etc
not intended or wanted: the wrong road
(postpositive) not working properly; amiss: something 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
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
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 tort: a private wrong
a violation of public rights and duties, affecting the community as a whole and actionable at the instance of the Crown: a public wrong
in the wrong mistaken or guilty
to treat unjustly
to discredit, malign, or misrepresent
to seduce or violate
Origin of wrong
1Derived forms of wrong
- wronger, noun
- wrongly, adverb
- wrongness, noun
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with 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.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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