misinterpret

verb

mis·​in·​ter·​pret ˌmi-sᵊn-ˈtər-prət 

-pət

misinterpreted; misinterpreting; misinterprets

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.

Synonyms

• bend
• color
• cook
• distort
• falsify
• fudge
• garble
• misrelate
• misrepresent
• misstate
• pervert
• slant
• twist
• warp

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

Many misinterpret positive screens as definitive evidence of drug use. —Shoshana Walter, USA TODAY, 9 Sep. 2024

Employees may sometimes misinterpret task assignments or performance expectations as bullying behavior. —Jason Walker, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2024

The high court, in a case called Fischer v. United States, said the government had misinterpreted the statute in bringing cases charging individuals for obstructing an official proceeding. —Richard Ruelas, The Arizona Republic, 5 Aug. 2024

An inquest at Stockport Coroner's Court heard on June 4 and 5 that a doctor had misinterpreted the late father’s electrocardiogram (ECG) scan. —Becca Longmire, Peoplemag, 17 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

misinterpret

verb

mis·​in·​ter·​pret ˌmis-ᵊn-ˈtər-prət 

-pət

: to understand or explain wrongly

misinterpretation

-ˌtər-prə-ˈtā-shən 

-pə-ˈtā-

noun