misunderstand

verb

mis·​un·​der·​stand (ˌ)mi-ˌsən-dər-ˈstand How to pronounce misunderstand (audio)
misunderstood (ˌ)mi-ˌsən-dər-ˈstu̇d How to pronounce misunderstand (audio) ; misunderstanding
Synonyms of misunderstandnext

transitive verb

1
: to fail to understand
I misunderstood the message.
2
: to interpret incorrectly
I think you misunderstood my intentions.

Synonyms of misunderstand

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Examples of misunderstand in a Sentence

Don't misunderstand me—I'm not criticizing your decision. He feels that the critics have completely misunderstood his movies. She expressed herself in clear terms that no one could misunderstand.
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.
My next question was going to be what do people who haven’t been on a college campus in a while tend to misunderstand about the party scene, and that pandemic shift seems like an answer to that. — Rachel Cohen Booth, Vox, 23 Oct. 2026 If there was any worry that Sühlmann would misunderstand the brand, it was dispelled the moment the Mission S was unveiled. — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 23 Oct. 2026 That’s also another beat in the documentary where Evans and Holmes seem to misread or misunderstand popular culture, humor, or art. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026 Reward prediction error reflects a discrepancy in the outcome or goal and, in the NVA system, can indicate that the AI has misunderstood what the person ultimately wanted. — New Atlas, 4 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for misunderstand

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of misunderstand was in the 13th century

Rhymes for misunderstand

See All Rhymes for misunderstand

Browse Nearby Words

mistype
misunderstand
misunderstanding
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Misunderstand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misunderstand. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

misunderstand

verb
mis·​un·​der·​stand (ˌ)mis-ˌən-dər-ˈstand How to pronounce misunderstand (audio)
misunderstood -ˈstu̇d How to pronounce misunderstand (audio) ; misunderstanding
1
: to fail to understand
2
: to interpret incorrectly
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