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

Guglielmo thinks that either the original design assumptions were misunderstood, something went wrong during the design or construction process, or construction crews overloaded or weakened the structure. — ABC News, 10 July 2026

Okra just might be the most misunderstood plant in the Southern garden. — Trelani Michelle, Southern Living, 10 July 2026

Bravo explained that their friendship is misunderstood by everyone, except them. — Reshma Gopaldas, IndieWire, 9 July 2026

This might explain why historical comparisons are often misunderstood or blatantly ignored. — Kenneth G. Winans, Forbes.com, 8 July 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