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

Trump had campaigned on restricting birthright citizenship, arguing that the citizenship clause had been misinterpreted, and attended the April 2026 oral arguments in a first for a sitting president. — Mike Snider, USA Today, 1 July 2026

Managers often misinterpret Gen Z's workplace preferences, viewing their requests as entitlement rather than practical needs shaped by their upbringing. — Mark Murphy, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

That common use runs counter to the purpose of a trademark, which exists to prevent the public from misinterpreting a phrase or term as an indication that a specific entity is selling a certain product. — Matt Moret, New York Times, 30 June 2026

The rhythm of the writing shows the staccato nature of those relationships, with their stops and starts, and how sometimes signs of seduction cannot be misinterpreted or not picked up at all. — Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 26 June 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