misinterpret

mis·in·ter·pret

transitive verb \ˌmi-s^ən-ˈtər-prət, -pət\

Definition of MISINTERPRET

1

: to explain wrongly

2

: to understand wrongly

— mis·in·ter·pre·ta·tion \-ˌtər-prə-ˈtā-shən, -pə-\ noun

Examples of MISINTERPRET

1. He claims that his statements have been misinterpreted by the media.
2. Her silence should not be misinterpreted as consent.

First Known Use of MISINTERPRET

1547

Related to MISINTERPRET

Synonyms

bend, color, cook, distort, falsify, fudge, garble, misrelate, misrepresent, misstate, pervert, slant, twist, warp

Antonyms

appreciate, apprehend, catch, comprehend, conceive, fathom, get, grasp, grok, know, make out, penetrate, perceive, savvy, see, seize, take in, understand

Related Words

misdescribe, misspeak, mistranslate; belie, camouflage, disguise, dissemble, gloss (over), mask, veil, whitewash; bowdlerize, censor; complicate, confound, confuse, mistake, mix (up); mystify, obscure; equivocate, fib, lie, palter, prevaricate

Near Antonyms

clarify, clear (up), explain, illuminate, illustrate, interpret, spell out; decipher