misinterpret

verb

mis·in·ter·pret | \ˌmi-sᵊn-ˈtər-prət,

-pət\

misinterpreted; misinterpreting; misinterprets

Definition of misinterpret

transitive verb

1 : to explain wrongly His comment on the speech misinterprets the speaker's meaning.

2 : to understand wrongly Her silence should not be misinterpreted as consent.

Other Words from misinterpret Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about misinterpret

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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

This is sometimes misinterpreted by new parents as a reaction to their presence, a reward for their intense concern and sleepless efforts. — Neil Steinberg, CNN, "How far would you go to be able to smile?," 13 June 2018 Family, friends and co-workers may not understand someone’s attempts to make changes and may misinterpret it as a midlife, or late-life, crisis. — Glenn Ruffenach, WSJ, "Change Your Personality Later in Life? Yes, It Is Possible.," 22 Apr. 2018 When something disrupts that communication, the brain misinterprets normal signals, which can cause the body to become hypersensitive to stimuli detected by nerves in the gut, causing pain. — Sumathi Reddy, WSJ, "A Surprise Medical Solution: Hypnosis," 7 May 2018 The mistake, which touched off panic and confusion across Hawaii on Jan. 13, occurred when the worker misinterpreted testing instructions from a supervisor, according to the Federal Communications Commission and state officials in Hawaii. — Cecilia Kang, New York Times, "Hawaii Missile Alert Wasn’t Accidental, Officials Say, Blaming Worker," 30 Jan. 2018 In criminal cases, DNA evidence is sometimes misused or misinterpreted. — Fortune, "DNA Detectives Are Searching for Killers in Your Family Tree," 14 June 2018 But there is reason to think the currency might come under pressure later in 2018 anyway, and that could be misinterpreted as provocation by a hostile Trump administration. — Nathaniel Taplin, WSJ, "Is the Yuan in China’s Trade-War Arsenal?," 13 Apr. 2018 In arriving at this view, scholars have ignored, underestimated or misinterpreted a rich source of evidence: Bach’s personal three-volume Study Bible, extensively marked with his own notations. — Michael Marissen, New York Times, "Bach Was Far More Religious Than You Might Think," 30 Mar. 2018 February 2, 2017 Daniela took to Twitter, however, criticizing the TV show for misinterpreting her words. — Sarah Schreiber, Good Housekeeping, "Michael Bublé Confirms His Son is "Progressing Well" Through Cancer Treatment," 3 Feb. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'misinterpret.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.