misunderstood

adjective

mis·​un·​der·​stood (ˌ)mi-ˌsən-dər-ˈstu̇d 

1

: wrongly or imperfectly understood

a misunderstood question

Mondegreens are misunderstood lyrics, and when we asked our readers for their favorites, not surprisingly the most familiar ones got multiple votes.

—Dave Tianen

2

: not sympathetically appreciated

[Shorty] Rossi has become a name in the animal rescue community for his fierce advocacy for the interests of the pit bull, which he sees as a misunderstood breed.

—Publishers Weekly

He speaks proudly and protectively of his two directing efforts as if they were beloved but misunderstood children, and he's touchingly eager to explain their unappreciated virtues.

—Ron Rosenbaum

Examples of misunderstood in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This is the part that is widely misunderstood. —Sarwant Singh, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026

Debt can influence many aspects of your financial life, but its relationship with Medicare is often misunderstood. —Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 9 June 2026

Here, the body is treated as a system of signals—and many of them are shaped by one much-misunderstood force. —Rachel Ingram, Robb Report, 7 June 2026

Tourette is a highly misunderstood neurological disorder; its most significant symptoms are involuntary and unwanted tics — either physical or vocal, the Tourette Association of America explains. —Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1583, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for misunderstood

• unlikelihood
• adulthood
• babyhood
• brotherhood
• cottonwood
• fatherhood
• firewood
• fuelwood
• hardihood
• ironwood
• leatherwood
• likelihood