miscalculate

verb

mis·​cal·​cu·​late ˌmis-ˈkal-kyə-ˌlāt 

miscalculated; miscalculating

transitive + intransitive

: to calculate wrongly : to make a miscalculation

This fall, publishers badly miscalculated the public's appetite for celebrity tell-alls.

—Patrick M. Reilly

… the bosses simply weren't ready when it turned out they had miscalculated badly.

—Kevin Drum

Synonyms

• misunderstand
• underestimate
• misjudge
• mistake
• misconceive

Examples of miscalculate in a Sentence

they miscalculated how difficult the mountainous trek would be

Recent Examples on the Web

The movie, to my eyes, badly miscalculates the ratio of paradise to despoilment, indulging the latter at the expense of the former. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2025

In selecting Fiddelke as the company’s next CEO, Target’s board seems to have miscalculated where the company is in its trajectory. —Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025

The Carriers also argue that the Commission misinterpreted the Communications Act, miscalculated the penalties, and violated the Seventh Amendment by not affording them a jury trial. —Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2025

More players mean more scenarios for people to miscalculate. —Andreas Kluth, Twin Cities, 17 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1633, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for miscalculate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

Kids Definition

miscalculate

verb

mis·​cal·​cu·​late

(ˈ)mis-ˈkal-kyə-ˌlāt

: to calculate wrongly : make a mistake in calculation

miscalculation

ˌmis-ˌkal-kyə-ˈlā-shən

noun