misinterpret

verb

mis·​in·​ter·​pret ˌmi-sᵊn-ˈtər-prət 

-pət

misinterpreted; misinterpreting; misinterprets

transitive verb

1

: to explain wrongly

His comment on the speech misinterprets the speaker's meaning.

2

: to understand wrongly

Their silence should not be misinterpreted as consent.

Synonyms of misinterpret

• misrepresent
• distort

Examples of misinterpret in a Sentence

He claims that his statements have been misinterpreted by the media.

Her silence should not be misinterpreted as consent.

Recent Examples on the Web

But as a practicing Catholic, Pomiés says sometimes Uruguayan and especially officials misinterpret what secularism is. — Carrie Kahn, NPR, 7 Nov. 2026

However, the flight system encountered a technical fault when Fluctus misinterpreted air pressure fluctuations as a crash landing and prematurely declared an emergency apogee, assuming the rocket was beyond recovery. — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026

The motives and rooting interest are uncomplicated and impossible to misinterpret, and each straightforward emotional beat is delivered with such sincere and amplified force that resistance is futile. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2026

Many tenant advocates argue not only that cities are misinterpreting SB 1211 but also that the law is poorly written. — Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for misinterpret

• reinterpret
• interpret

Kids Definition

misinterpret

verb

mis·​in·​ter·​pret ˌmis-ᵊn-ˈtər-prət 

-pət

: to understand or explain wrongly

misinterpretation

-ˌtər-prə-ˈtā-shən 

-pə-ˈtā-

noun