misunderstood

adjective

mis·​un·​der·​stood (ˌ)mi-ˌsən-dər-ˈstu̇d 

1

: wrongly or imperfectly understood

a misunderstood question

Mondegreens are misunderstood lyrics, and when we asked our readers for their favorites, not surprisingly the most familiar ones got multiple votes.

—Dave Tianen

2

: not sympathetically appreciated

[Shorty] Rossi has become a name in the animal rescue community for his fierce advocacy for the interests of the pit bull, which he sees as a misunderstood breed.

—Publishers Weekly

He speaks proudly and protectively of his two directing efforts as if they were beloved but misunderstood children, and he's touchingly eager to explain their unappreciated virtues.

—Ron Rosenbaum

Examples of misunderstood in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This is the most misunderstood aspect of digital nomadism. —Taylor Haught, Sacbee.com, 5 Jan. 2026

To clear up the confusion, The Charlotte Observer asked law enforcement to weigh in on several frequently misunderstood rules. —Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 31 Dec. 2025

Prostatitis is one of the most commonly misunderstood diagnoses in my field. —Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, CNN Money, 26 Dec. 2025

Instead of a person, a cheerful AI voice answers and drops you into an endless loop of menus and misunderstood prompts. —Kim Komando The Kim Komando Show, FOXNews.com, 19 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1583, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for misunderstood

• unlikelihood
• adulthood
• babyhood
• brotherhood
• cottonwood
• fatherhood
• firewood
• fuelwood
• hardihood
• ironwood
• leatherwood
• likelihood