misquote

1 of 2

noun

mis·​quote ˈmis-ˌkwōt 

also -ˌkōt

plural misquotes

: an act or instance of quoting something incorrectly : misquotation

"If it doesn't show up in the drug controls, then it's not doping," [Michele] Ferrari was quoted as having said (a statement he has since characterized as a misquote) …

—Bill Gifford

They will defend his every misquote and misuse of scripture as the shortcomings of a new believer or even the second coming of Cyrus.

—Erick Erickson

misquote

2 of 2

verb

mis·​quote ˌmis-ˈkwōt 

also -ˈkōt

misquoted; misquoting

transitive + intransitive

: to quote (someone or something) incorrectly

… when it quickly became clear that these were not the facts, he took refuge in the trapped politician's standard excuse: The press had misquoted him.

—Geoffrey C. Ward

He misquotes frequently, providing others with opportunity to give him a taste of his own medicine.

—Susan Rusinko

Examples of misquote in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

People have argued whether a shoddy radio connection caused the misquote, or if Armstrong had a case of global stage fright and skipped over the tiny, but important, word. — Carl Engelking, Discover Magazine, 18 July 2014

Still, to paraphrase the famous misquote of auto executive Charles Wilson, what’s terrible for Bud Light sales is now good for America. — Rich Lowry, National Review, 31 May 2023

Verb

Why misquote the Bard in a story about sparkling water? — Emily Heil, Washington Post, 15 May 2026

Talarico claims he was misquoted, but has said Allred had been running a mediocre campaign. — Philip Elliott, Time, 26 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1855, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1644, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for misquote

• afloat
• azote
• banknote
• bareboat
• benzoate
• connote
• cutthroat
• demote
• denote
• devote
• endnote
• footnote

Kids Definition

misquote

verb

mis·​quote

(ˈ)mis-ˈkwōt

: to quote incorrectly

misquotation

ˌmis-kwō-ˈtā-shən

noun