wrongheaded
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
- wrongheadedly adverb
- wrongheadedness noun
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.
This distinguishes it unfavorably from the traditional western, which, however reductive or politically wrongheaded, has always known how to keep an audience interested.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026
In other words, Cannon’s precious thought experiment was not only wrongheaded; it was a dereliction of the court’s basic responsibility to rule on the parties’ motions.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 4, 2024
The suggestion the provision applies "could not be more wrongheaded," he added.
From Salon • Mar. 4, 2024
Understanding the purposes of wrongful death law turns out to be crucial to seeing one of the reasons why the Alabama court’s decision is so wrongheaded.
From Slate • Feb. 21, 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.
