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

Their silence should not be misinterpreted as consent.

Synonyms of misinterpret

• misrepresent
• distort

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

Asynchronous communication can easily be misinterpreted, allowing for not only confusion but often confrontation. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026

But in my experience, if used on its own to diagnose, it can be easily misinterpreted. — Andrew McLean, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026

But other experts were more cautious about the new study’s findings and worried it could easily be misinterpreted. — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026

Boyle, looking none the worse for international travel, introduced the film Friday night by noting that some people are misinterpreting the title. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for misinterpret

• reinterpret
• interpret

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