misdiagnose

verb

mis·​di·​ag·​nose ˌmis-ˈdī-ig-ˌnōs 

-ˌnōz, 

ˌdī-ig-ˈnōs, 

-ˈnōz, 

-əg-

misdiagnosed; misdiagnosing

transitive verb

: to diagnose (someone or something) incorrectly

… babesiosis is often missed or misdiagnosed as malaria or flu.

—Linda Marsa

The researchers added that children with this disease are often misdiagnosed and thus inappropriately treated …

—Jane E. Brody

Examples of misdiagnose in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Christina Applegate has an unconfirmed theory about the symptoms that caused her to be misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis. — Deborah Day, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026

Thirty-three percent reported being misdiagnosed or unable to get a diagnosis, compared with 21% of men reporting these experiences. — Jennifer Silva, STAT, 6 Nov. 2026

Actress Christina Applegate has shared a major health update after revealing last month that she was misdiagnosed with the neurological condition known as multiple sclerosis. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Nov. 2026

Christina Applegate’s recent revelation that she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis is raising questions about how the disease can be confused with other conditions even after years of treatment. — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for misdiagnose

• agarose
• aliquots
• amigos
• anthracnose
• bottlenose
• buffaloes
• bungalows
• calicoes
• cameos
• commandos
• conversos
• decompose

Medical Definition

misdiagnose

transitive verb

mis·​di·​ag·​nose (ˈ)mis-ˈdī-ig-ˌnōs, -ˌnōz 

misdiagnosed; misdiagnosing

: to diagnose incorrectly