misunderstand

verb

mis·​un·​der·​stand (ˌ)mi-ˌsən-dər-ˈstand 

misunderstood (ˌ)mi-ˌsən-dər-ˈstu̇d  ; misunderstanding

transitive verb

1

: to fail to understand

I misunderstood the message.

2

: to interpret incorrectly

I think you misunderstood my intentions.

Synonyms of misunderstand

• miss
• mistake
• misread
• misconstrue
• misinterpret
• misapprehend

Examples of misunderstand in a Sentence

Don't misunderstand me—I'm not criticizing your decision.

He feels that the critics have completely misunderstood his movies.

She expressed herself in clear terms that no one could misunderstand.

Recent Examples on the Web

Both liberals and conservatives fundamentally misunderstand Social Security. — Jessica Riedl, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026

People would hear this, interpret it, maybe misunderstand it. — Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 6 July 2026

That misunderstands both the problem and the legislation itself. — Andy Harris, Baltimore Sun, 4 July 2026

In response to a complaint from former Yankees catcher Jorge Posada, Herbstreit posted a lengthy diatribe on X completely misunderstanding the modern game. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for misunderstand

• analysand
• ampersand
• beforehand
• behindhand
• bottomland
• contraband
• countermand
• dixieland
• fairyland
• fatherland
• firebrand
• hinterland

Kids Definition

misunderstand

verb

mis·​un·​der·​stand (ˌ)mis-ˌən-dər-ˈstand 

misunderstood -ˈstu̇d  ; misunderstanding

1

: to fail to understand

2

: to interpret incorrectly