misdiagnose

verb

mis·​di·​ag·​nose ˌmis-ˈdī-ig-ˌnōs 

-ˌnōz,

ˌdī-ig-ˈnōs,

-ˈnōz,

-əg-

misdiagnosed; misdiagnosing

transitive verb

: to diagnose (someone or something) incorrectly

… babesiosis is often missed or misdiagnosed as malaria or flu.

—Linda Marsa

The researchers added that children with this disease are often misdiagnosed and thus inappropriately treated …

—Jane E. Brody

Examples of misdiagnose in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

When women are misdiagnosed, overlooked, or excluded from research, the entire healthcare system suffers. —Geri Stengel, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025

And yet, stroke is misdiagnosed in U.S. emergency departments at alarming rates. —Sean C. Domnick, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 June 2025

Testing matters here because the disease is still often misdiagnosed. —Alex Backus, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025

Over a third of endometriosis patients are misdiagnosed with mental health conditions, which helps delay the actual diagnosis by over four years on average in the United States. —Shreyas Teegala, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for misdiagnose

• arabinose
• arpeggios
• chlorpyrifos
• manifestoes
• manifestos
• pistachios
• politicos
• portfolios
• superimpose
• agarose
• aliquots
• amigos

Medical Definition

misdiagnose

transitive verb

mis·​di·​ag·​nose (ˈ)mis-ˈdī-ig-ˌnōs, -ˌnōz 

misdiagnosed; misdiagnosing

: to diagnose incorrectly