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
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
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
Maybe Holly had some wrongheaded ideas about Arletta, but if she knew when a glue gun was in order, she wasn’t all bad.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
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.
