misunderstand
verb
mis·un·der·stand
(ˌ)mi-ˌsən-dər-ˈstand 
misunderstood
(ˌ)mi-ˌsən-dər-ˈstu̇d
; misunderstanding
; misunderstanding
Synonyms
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
That discomfort and lack of preparation can pose a big problem for workplace harmony—some employees may misunderstand DEI initiatives, while others may feel unprotected by their leaders.
—
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
The seven former heads of the FDA said the ruling by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals that temporarily restricted access to mifepristone fundamentally misunderstood the science involved in the decision and jeopardized the drug approval process in the future.
—Daniel Desrochers, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2024
Left home alone for large stretches of time, Doris finds herself with a group of friends who misunderstand and adore her in equal measure (including Ella Anderson as Brittany, Daniella Taylor as Laci, Ariel Martin as Megan, and Amarr as Nate).
—Lindsay Lee Wallace, TIME, 9 Feb. 2024
Fernandez Searcy said supporters of the bill misunderstand DEI.
—Hannah Pinski, The Courier-Journal, 15 Mar. 2024
Choose a model that applies to your entity’s needs and use it to avoid the Achilles heel trap of misunderstanding the tools and processes for achieving the endgame of zero trust: protecting the confidentiality, integrity and availability of your sensitive data.
—Ravi Ithal, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
Anyone who misunderstands this principle risks winning battles but losing the war.
—WSJ, 20 Dec. 2023
On the flip side, those who neglect, fear or misunderstand AI may face considerable challenges.
—Bart Caylor, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
People who had been rooting for the Supreme Court to reject Mr. Trump’s appeal entirely, whether by denying review of or summarily affirming an appeals court ruling against Mr. Trump, misunderstand the court’s conception of its own power and importance.
—Adam Liptak, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
The seven former heads of the FDA said the ruling by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals that temporarily restricted access to mifepristone fundamentally misunderstood the science involved in the decision and jeopardized the drug approval process in the future.
—Daniel Desrochers, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2024
Left home alone for large stretches of time, Doris finds herself with a group of friends who misunderstand and adore her in equal measure (including Ella Anderson as Brittany, Daniella Taylor as Laci, Ariel Martin as Megan, and Amarr as Nate).
—Lindsay Lee Wallace, TIME, 9 Feb. 2024
Fernandez Searcy said supporters of the bill misunderstand DEI.
—Hannah Pinski, The Courier-Journal, 15 Mar. 2024
Choose a model that applies to your entity’s needs and use it to avoid the Achilles heel trap of misunderstanding the tools and processes for achieving the endgame of zero trust: protecting the confidentiality, integrity and availability of your sensitive data.
—Ravi Ithal, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
Anyone who misunderstands this principle risks winning battles but losing the war.
—WSJ, 20 Dec. 2023
On the flip side, those who neglect, fear or misunderstand AI may face considerable challenges.
—Bart Caylor, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
People who had been rooting for the Supreme Court to reject Mr. Trump’s appeal entirely, whether by denying review of or summarily affirming an appeals court ruling against Mr. Trump, misunderstand the court’s conception of its own power and importance.
—Adam Liptak, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'misunderstand.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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
Articles Related to misunderstand
Dictionary Entries Near misunderstand
Cite this Entry
“Misunderstand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misunderstand. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
misunderstand
verb
mis·un·der·stand
(ˌ)mis-ˌən-dər-ˈstand
misunderstood
-ˈstu̇d
; misunderstanding
; misunderstanding
1
: to fail to understand
2
: to interpret incorrectly
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