mistranslate

verb

mis·​trans·​late ˌmis-tran(t)s-ˈlāt 

-tranz-;

-ˈtran(t)s-ˌlāt, 

-ˈtranz-

mistranslated; mistranslating

transitive verb

: to translate (something) incorrectly

I have often observed an inquiry by an American slightly mistranslated into Japanese and the Japanese answer then in turn mistranslated.

—Edwin O. Reischauer

Examples of mistranslate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The history of translation is full of cautionary tales, from literary blunders to famously mistranslated video games. — Karen Stollznow, The Conversation, 23 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1532, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for mistranslate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate