wrong

[rawng, rong]

adjective

1. not in accordance with what is morally right or good.

   a wrong deed.

   Synonyms: crooked, reprehensible, iniquitous, immoral, sinful, wicked, evil, bad

2. deviating from truth or fact; erroneous.

   a wrong answer.

   Synonyms: mistaken, untrue, false, incorrect, inaccurate

3. not correct in action, judgment, opinion, method, etc., as a person; in error.

   You are wrong to blame him.

4. not proper or usual; not in accordance with requirements or recommended practice.

   the wrong way to hold a golf club.

5. out of order; awry; amiss.

   Something is wrong with the machine.

6. not suitable or appropriate.

   He always says the wrong thing.

   Synonyms: unsuitable, improper

7. (of clothing) that should be worn or kept inward or under.

   You're wearing the sweater wrong side out.

noun

1. that which is wrong, or not in accordance with morality, goodness, or truth; evil.

   I committed many wrongs.

   Synonyms: vice, sin, wickedness, immorality, misdeed

2. an injustice.

   The wrongs they suffered aged them.

3. Law.

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

   2. a tort.

adverb

1. in a wrong manner; not rightly; awry; amiss.

   You did it wrong again.

verb (used with object)

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

   Synonyms: dishonor, defraud, cheat, oppress, abuse, maltreat

2. to impute evil to (someone) unjustly; malign.

wrong

/ rɒŋ /

adjective

1. not correct or truthful

   the wrong answer

2. acting or judging in error

   you are wrong to think that

3. (postpositive) immoral; bad

   it is wrong to cheat

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

5. not intended or wanted

   the wrong road

6. (postpositive) not working properly; amiss

   something is wrong with the engine

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

8. informal,  to come into disfavour with

9. (of food) to pass into the windpipe instead of the gullet

adverb

1. in the wrong direction or manner

2. 1. to turn out other than intended

   2. to make a mistake

   3. (of a machine, etc) to cease to function properly

   4. to go astray morally

3. 1. to fail to understand properly

   2. to fail to provide the correct answer to

noun

1. a bad, immoral, or unjust thing or action

2. law

   1. 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

   2. a violation of public rights and duties, affecting the community as a whole and actionable at the instance of the Crown

      a public wrong

3. mistaken or guilty

verb

1. to treat unjustly

2. to discredit, malign, or misrepresent

3. to seduce or violate

Other Word Forms

• wrongness noun
• wronger noun
• wrongly adverb
• quasi-wrong adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of wrong¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of wrong¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. go wrong,

   1. to go amiss; fail.

      Everything is going wrong today.

   2. to pursue an immoral course; become depraved.

      Bad friends caused him to go wrong.

2. get in wrong, to cause to come into disfavor.

   We are forever getting in wrong with the people next door.

3. in the wrong, to blame; in error.

   He knew he was in the wrong but refused to concede the point.

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.

Example Sentences

It came with the warning: “It may do the wrong thing at the worst time, so you must always keep your hands on the wheel.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It isn’t hard to imagine things going terribly wrong in a similar way in the Middle East.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others,” the future Pope Leo said in response, calling the vice president “wrong.”

Read more on Salon

My research suggests this conventional wisdom is wrong.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

By watching the joust, astronomers got to see what happens when a galaxy finds itself on the wrong end of a quasar.

Read more on Space Scoop

Related Words

• abuse 
• bias 
• blunder 
• crime 
• error 
• evil 
• grievance 
• harm 
• inequity 
• injustice 
• insult 
• misdeed 
• mistake 
• prejudice 
• slight 
• transgression 
• violation 
• wrongdoing