wrongheaded
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of wrongheaded
Explanation
Something that's wrongheaded is foolish, misguided, and stubborn. A wrongheaded politician might run for president despite polls showing there's no way he can win. A wrongheaded entrepreneur may go ahead with her plans to open an ice cream shop for dogs despite being advised not to by everyone she knows. You might feel angry about a judge's wrongheaded decision in an important court case. Anyone who uses bad judgement is wrongheaded, especially when the mistake seems obvious. The adjective wrongheaded has been around since the 1730's.
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.
Lee also has made some wrongheaded and bold calls on crypto, such as a forecast that bitcoin could “easily get to $200,000” by the end of 2025, and top $1 million in a few years.
From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026
Ultimately, “Feed the People!” is a worthwhile corrective to a great deal of wrongheaded popular dogma about food.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
But those were nothing next to the most wrongheaded move in recent Emmys history: the penalizing charity counter.
From Salon • Sep. 15, 2025
When a “well-known journal” proposed “some wrongheaded cuts,” she withdrew the piece and sent it to Brock at the Arkansas International, where he ran it intact.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 18, 2024
You don’t throw away a relationship that’s been going on since second grade over a sandwich, no matter how wrongheaded the other person is being.
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
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.
