wrong
Americanadjective
-
not in accordance with what is morally right or good.
a wrong deed.
- Synonyms:
- crooked, reprehensible, iniquitous, immoral, sinful, wicked, evil, bad
-
deviating from truth or fact; erroneous.
a wrong answer.
- Synonyms:
- mistaken, untrue, false, incorrect, inaccurate
-
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.
- Synonyms:
- unsuitable, improper
-
(of clothing) that should be worn or kept inward or under.
You're wearing the sweater wrong side out.
noun
-
wrongs
plural
-
that which is wrong, or not in accordance with morality, goodness, or truth; evil.
I committed many wrongs.
- Synonyms:
- vice, sin, wickedness, immorality, misdeed
-
an injustice.
The wrongs they suffered aged them.
-
Law.
-
an invasion of another's right, to his damage.
-
a tort.
-
adverb
verb (used with object)
-
wrongs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
wronged,
past participle, past
-
wronging
present participle
idioms
-
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.
-
-
get in wrong, to cause to come into disfavor.
We are forever getting in wrong with the people next door.
-
in the wrong, to blame; in error.
He knew he was in the wrong but refused to concede the point.
adjective
-
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
-
(of a side, esp of a fabric) intended to face the inside so as not to be seen
-
informal to come into disfavour with
-
(of food) to pass into the windpipe instead of the gullet
adverb
-
in the wrong direction or manner
-
-
to turn out other than intended
-
to make a mistake
-
(of a machine, etc) to cease to function properly
-
to go astray morally
-
-
-
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 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
-
-
mistaken or guilty
verb
-
to treat unjustly
-
to discredit, malign, or misrepresent
-
to seduce or violate
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
wrongsimple
-
wrongssimple
-
have wrongedperfect
-
has wrongedperfect
-
am wrongingprogressive
-
are wrongingprogressive
-
is wrongingprogressive
-
have been wrongingperfect progressive
-
has been wrongingperfect progressive
Past
-
wrongedsimple
-
had wrongedperfect
-
was wrongingprogressive
-
were wrongingprogressive
-
had been wrongingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of wrong
First recorded before 1100; (adjective) Middle English wrong, wrang, Old English wrang, perhaps from Old Danish wrang; compare Danish vrang “wrong,” Old Norse rangr “awry”; (verb and adverb) Middle English, derivative of the adjective; (noun) Middle English; Old English wrang, derivative of adjective; akin to wring
Explanation
Use the adjective wrong to talk about something that is factually incorrect. You thought your paper was due a week from Friday, but you were wrong. It's due tomorrow. Better start typing! You can use the word wrong to describe something that deviates from your moral principles. You might believe that the death penalty is just wrong, but not everyone agrees with you. The adjective wrong can also describe something that is inappropriate for a certain purpose. It's frustrating to get all the way home from the store before you realize you grabbed the wrong kind of milk — buttermilk instead of two percent.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Amid ongoing instability, any new natural-uranium reactor would risk radioactive hazards or diversion of material into the wrong hands.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
Investors are treating Nvidia’s stock like the company is “losing” the artificial-intelligence game, according to an analyst who thinks that’s entirely the wrong approach.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026
Users on social media noticed the shape of the stadium engraved on the medal appeared to be carved in the wrong likeness.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
“Words like ‘genocide’ and ‘apartheid,’ applied to a corporate transaction, aren’t just wrong — they’re a bridge too far.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
In the long run, the Localizers will turn out to be somewhat right about localization but completely wrong about phrenological organs.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
In her documentary debut, director Poh Si Teng makes no attempt to explain the rights or wrongs of the conflict itself, focusing instead on the work in Gaza of three American doctors from different backgrounds.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
"We owe it to them to right these wrongs."
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
Time will tell whether this proves to be helpful for the vindication of wrongs from years ago and creation of stable relations in years to come.
From Slate ● Jul. 1, 2026
Real wrongs will continue to be deterred and uncovered by the news media, whistleblowers, the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
She went to Poseidon and laid her wrongs before him.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
But I’ve no doubt that, like me, many people found comfort in the story’s resolute belief in humankind’s capacity for grace even after someone has greatly wronged us.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
They commit full-throatedly to playing out Misraje’s vision of a Hollywood haunted by the dreamers it’s wronged and the secrets it’s plastered over.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
What I’ve found is that no one is right, and everyone feels wronged no matter what.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 11, 2026
"My daughter was wronged in her lifetime, and now every effort is being made to ensure that she does not get justice even after her death. We will not rest until we get her justice."
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
Archie is large with power, with age, with this conviction that I have wronged him.
From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz
Examples of alleged wronging by the district include:
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2023
Finally, she is, as you make clear, specifically wronging you, the person who effectively vouched for her.
From New York Times ● Sep. 8, 2021
He has denied wronging, and the trial is scheduled to start in May.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 25, 2020
McDonald said there is no evidence that the sheriff knew about the items kept in Armendariz’s house and that any wronging by the officer shouldn’t be pinned on Arpaio.
From Washington Times ● Jan. 8, 2015
But he knowing their errand told them it was not they who were wronging him.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
