misread

verb

mis·​read ˌmis-ˈrēd How to pronounce misread (audio)
misread ˌmis-ˈred How to pronounce misread (audio) ; misreading ˌmis-ˈrē-diŋ How to pronounce misread (audio)
Synonyms of misreadnext

transitive verb

1
: to read incorrectly
2
: to misinterpret in or as if in reading
… totally misread the lesson of history …—Christopher Hollis

Synonyms of misread

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Examples of misread in a Sentence

I guess I misread the instructions. They have misread the lessons of the past. Politicians may have misread the mood of the public. I badly misread the situation.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Pulling one habit out of that mix and calling it the secret misreads the science. — Allison Palmer updated June 24, Sacbee.com, 24 June 2026 Without that detail, teams may misread brittle demos as readiness or blame the model for problems caused by weak infrastructure. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 What employers are misreading Employers are not ignoring these problems. — Bob Batchelor, The Conversation, 17 June 2026 However, Soto misread the ball bouncing off the turf completely, choosing to have an aggressive route toward the ball and potentially catch it on the short hop. — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for misread

Word History

First Known Use

1658, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of misread was in 1658

Rhymes for misread

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Browse Nearby Words

Mişrātah
misread
misreckon
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Cite this Entry

“Misread.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misread. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

misread

verb
mis·​read (ˈ)mis-ˈrēd How to pronounce misread (audio)
misread -ˈred How to pronounce misread (audio) ; misreading -ˈrēd-iŋ How to pronounce misread (audio)
1
: to read incorrectly
2
: to misinterpret in or as if in reading

More from Merriam-Webster on misread

Nglish: Translation of misread for Spanish Speakers

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