misdiagnose
verb
mis·di·ag·nose
ˌmis-ˈdī-ig-ˌnōs 
-ˌnōz,
ˌdī-ig-ˈnōs,
-ˈnōz,
-əg-
misdiagnosed; misdiagnosing
: to diagnose (someone or something) incorrectly
… babesiosis is often missed or misdiagnosed as malaria or flu.—
Linda Marsa
Linda MarsaThe researchers added that children with this disease are often misdiagnosed and thus inappropriately treated …—Jane E. Brody
Jane E. BrodyExamples of misdiagnose in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Black patients are already less likely to be offered pain medication, more likely to be misdiagnosed, and more likely to die from preventable conditions.
—Joel Bervell, Time, 14 Nov. 2025
Representatives for Williams announced last year that she had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2023, although the former Wendy Williams Show host has publicly shared her belief that she was misdiagnosed.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2025
At the medical center, a physician dismissed the symptoms as a reaction to the steroid medication she had been prescribed, misdiagnosing her with gynecomastia, a condition typically seen in men who use anabolic steroids, Sutherland’s lawyers said in a report.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 3 Nov. 2025
October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and experts say now is the time to raise public attention for a disease that is difficult to detect, underrepresented in research and often either misdiagnosed or found late.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misdiagnose
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Joel Bervell, Time, 14 Nov. 2025
Representatives for Williams announced last year that she had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2023, although the former Wendy Williams Show host has publicly shared her belief that she was misdiagnosed.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2025
At the medical center, a physician dismissed the symptoms as a reaction to the steroid medication she had been prescribed, misdiagnosing her with gynecomastia, a condition typically seen in men who use anabolic steroids, Sutherland’s lawyers said in a report.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 3 Nov. 2025
October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and experts say now is the time to raise public attention for a disease that is difficult to detect, underrepresented in research and often either misdiagnosed or found late.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misdiagnose
Cite this Entry
“Misdiagnose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misdiagnose. Accessed 21 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
misdiagnose
transitive verb
mis·di·ag·nose
(ˈ)mis-ˈdī-ig-ˌnōs, -ˌnōz
misdiagnosed; misdiagnosing
: to diagnose incorrectly
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