wrong 1 of 4

adjective

Definition of wrongnext
1
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard there is something wrong with this cake—it has a funny taste

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2
as in incorrect
having an opinion that does not agree with truth or the facts I'm sorry, but the latest research proves you wrong

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3
as in inappropriate
not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation has a knack for saying just the wrong thing

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4
as in erroneous
not being in agreement with what is true her answer that Thomas Jefferson was the second president of the United States is wrong—it was John Adams, of course

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5
as in immoral
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable was caught doing something wrong

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wrong

2 of 4

noun

ˈrȯŋ How to pronounce wrong (audio)
1
as in bad
that which is morally unacceptable any reasonable person should be expected to know the difference between right and wrong

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2
as in injustice
unfair or inadequate treatment of someone or something or an instance of this trying to right all the wrongs in the world

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wrong

3 of 4

adverb

as in badly
off the desired or intended path or course all of our carefully laid plans have gone wrong

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wrong

4 of 4

verb

as in to harm

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun wrong contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of wrong are grievance, injury, and injustice. While all these words mean "an act that inflicts undeserved hurt," wrong applies also in law to any act punishable according to the criminal code; it may apply more generally to any flagrant injustice.

determined to right society's wrongs

When might grievance be a better fit than wrong?

The words grievance and wrong are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, grievance applies to a circumstance or condition that constitutes an injustice to the sufferer and gives just ground for complaint.

a list of employee grievances

In what contexts can injury take the place of wrong?

Although the words injury and wrong have much in common, injury applies in law specifically to an injustice for which one may sue to recover compensation.

libel constitutes a legal injury

Where would injustice be a reasonable alternative to wrong?

The synonyms injustice and wrong are sometimes interchangeable, but injustice applies to any act that involves unfairness to another or violation of one's rights.

the injustices suffered by the lower classes

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of wrong
Adjective
Did these executives ever express any contrition when proven wrong? — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026 The customer may have no reason to suspect that anything is wrong. — Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
Noun
The governor, those critics said, missed an opportunity to take historic apologies he’s made for the state’s past wrongs against Indigenous people and turn them into more concrete changes. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 1 Oct. 2026 Joe Alt, who was called for a hold that resulted in a safety on an anything-that-can-go-wrong-will-go-wrong Sunday. — Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
Adverb
That, in retrospect, becomes still another example of this show’s bad-faith wrong-footing. — Chris Klimek, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026 Aligne Rain Popover Track Top Contemporary British fashion brand Aligne has never done us wrong, and its Rain Popover Track Top is further confirmation of the sentiment. — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2026
Verb
This wasn’t an opportunity to defame someone or make this about how I’d been wronged. — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2026 Trump accidentally made the case that when the government’s policies cause harm, reparations should be paid by the government to make those who were wronged whole again, or that they should be compensated in some way. — Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 21 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for wrong
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrong
  1. unacceptable
  2. incorrect
  3. inappropriate
  4. erroneous
  5. immoral
  6. bad
  7. injustice
  8. badly
Adjective
  • Detection is no substitute for prevention, not when consequences are truly unacceptable.
    — Andrew Ginter, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The win won’t change what’s frankly been an unacceptable campaign for a program that was 18-1-4 just two seasons ago.
    — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of unacceptable
Adjective
  • The reality, of course, is that the Southern accent is not some incorrect version of a national standard but instead a historically separate and unique dialect – or, more accurately, set of dialects.
    — Valerie M. Fridland, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026
  • And Ballmer and the Clippers remain adamant the penalties—and the allegations of misconduct—are incorrect.
    — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of incorrect
Adjective
  • Parental Controls for Shared Devices Parents can restrict access to adult and inappropriate content, which helps when kids use the same phones, tablets, or laptops.
    — StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Val Chmerkovskiy has been suspended from Dancing with the Stars for one week after making an inappropriate comment toward one of the judges last week.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of inappropriate
Adjective
  • Bisignano, a former Wall Street CEO who has been overhauling how the agency operates, also said SSA was working to fix erroneous records.
    — Fernanda Tronco, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • In his own review of the case, Mandell failed to flag an erroneous jury instruction that four years later would lead to the conviction being overturned.
    — Samantha Melamed, ProPublica, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of erroneous
Adjective
  • And in a world increasingly populated by people who are absolutely certain that everyone who disagrees with them is either ignorant or immoral, our universities could use considerably more of all three.
    — Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Central to the exhibition is the tension between the honorable and the immoral, the appealing and the revolting.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of immoral
Noun
  • In addition to public goods, AI will also create public bads.
    — James Broughel, Forbes.com, 8 June 2026
  • Naturally, the meeting is a flop because no one was prepared, and their spontaneous ideas are frankly fireable-offense bad (a baguette bag shaped like a baguette for Paris?
    — Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2025
Definition of bad
Noun
  • Yet some parents respond as though their children have suffered a serious injustice.
    — Jonathan Alpert OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Saturday’s mobilization follows calls on social media to revive the yellow vest movement, which emerged in 2018 against social injustice.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of injustice
Adverb
  • Seems extreme on the downside, but the deal was placed really badly in a bad tape.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Playing the contrarian to the Federal Reserve’s plans to stimulate or dampen the economy only ends badly.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of badly

Phrases Containing wrong

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written up
wrong
wrongdoer
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Cite this Entry

“Wrong.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrong. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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