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.
- 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
Synonyms
See more synonyms for wrong on Thesaurus.comExamples from the Web for wrong
Contemporary Examples
But Cosby Truthers are applying their principles to the wrong cause.
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
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 JournalismArthur Chu
January 3, 2015
The only great thing he did as governor was to insist that the death penalty was just wrong.
It would definitely be wrong for TLC to encourage us to gawk at these men but their story is worth investigating nonetheless.
Historical Examples
"Flattery to ourselves does not change the nature of what is wrong," answered Philothea.
PhilotheaLydia Maria Child
Not contentment, but a lamentation and an ancient tale of wrong!
'Tis Sixty Years SinceCharles Francis Adams
Our mission is not punishment, but the rectification of wrong.
On that foul throng that wrought them wrong—on Jury and on Judge!
One day she hit the shell in the wrong place--and they're still looking for the monkey.
VivietteWilliam J. Locke
wrong
- 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
- 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 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
- to treat unjustly
- to discredit, malign, or misrepresent
- to seduce or violate
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for wrong
adj.
late Old English, "twisted, crooked, wry," from Old Norse rangr, earlier *wrangr "crooked, wry, wrong," from Proto-Germanic *wrangaz (cf. Danish vrang "crooked, wrong," Middle Dutch wranc, Dutch wrang "sour, bitter," literally "that which distorts the mouth"), from PIE *wrengh- "to turn" (see wring).
Sense of "not right, bad, immoral, unjust" developed by c.1300. Wrong thus is etymologically a negative of right (from Latin rectus, literally "straight"). Latin pravus was literally "crooked," but most commonly "wrong, bad;" and other words for "crooked" also have meant "wrong" in Italian and Slavic. Cf. also French tort "wrong, injustice," from Latin tortus "twisted." Wrong-headed first recorded 1732. To get up on the wrong side (of the bed) "be in a bad mood" is recorded from 1801.
n.
"that which is improper or unjust," c.1100, from wrong (adj.). Meaning "an unjust action" is recorded from c.1200.
v.
"to do wrong to," early 14c., from wrong (adj.). Related: Wronged; wronging.
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.