wrong

1 of 4

noun

1
a
: an injurious, unfair, or unjust act : action or conduct inflicting harm without due provocation or just cause
b
: a violation or invasion of the legal rights of another
especially : tort
2
: something wrong, immoral, or unethical
especially : principles, practices, or conduct contrary to justice, goodness, equity, or law
3
: the state, position, or fact of being or doing wrong: such as
a
: the state of being mistaken or incorrect
b
: the state of being guilty

wrong

2 of 4

adjective

wronger ˈrȯŋ-ər How to pronounce wrong (audio) ; wrongest ˈrȯŋ-əst How to pronounce wrong (audio)
1
: not according to the moral standard : sinful, immoral
thought that war was wrong
2
: not right or proper according to a code, standard, or convention : improper
it was wrong not to thank your host
3
: not according to truth or facts : incorrect
gave a wrong date
4
: not satisfactory (as in condition, results, health, or temper)
5
: not in accordance with one's needs, intent, or expectations
took the wrong bus
6
: of, relating to, or constituting the side of something that is usually held to be opposite to the principal one, that is the one naturally or by design turned down, inward, or away, or that is the least finished or polished
wrongly adverb
wrongness noun

wrong

3 of 4

adverb

1
: without accuracy : incorrectly
guessed wrong
2
: without regard for what is proper or just
was reprimanded for what he had done wrong
3
: in a wrong direction
turned wrong at the junction
4
a
: in an unsuccessful or unfortunate way
something went wrong
b
: out of working order or condition
5
: in a false light
don't get me wrong

wrong

4 of 4

verb

wronged; wronging ˈrȯŋ-iŋ How to pronounce wrong (audio)

transitive verb

1
a
: to do wrong to : injure, harm
b
: to treat disrespectfully or dishonorably : violate
2
: defraud
usually used with of
wronged them of their land
3
wronger noun
Phrases
wrong side of the tracks
: a run-down or unfashionable neighborhood
Choose the Right Synonym for wrong

Noun

injustice, injury, wrong, grievance mean an act that inflicts undeserved hurt.

injustice applies to any act that involves unfairness to another or violation of one's rights.

the injustices suffered by the lower classes

injury applies in law specifically to an injustice for which one may sue to recover compensation.

libel constitutes a legal injury

wrong applies also in law to any act punishable according to the criminal code; it may apply more generally to any flagrant injustice.

determined to right society's wrongs

grievance applies to a circumstance or condition that constitutes an injustice to the sufferer and gives just ground for complaint.

a list of employee grievances

Verb

wrong, oppress, persecute, aggrieve mean to injure unjustly or outrageously.

wrong implies inflicting injury either unmerited or out of proportion to what one deserves.

a penal system that had wronged him

oppress suggests inhumane imposing of burdens one cannot endure or exacting more than one can perform.

a people oppressed by a warmongering tyrant

persecute implies a relentless and unremitting subjection to annoyance or suffering.

a child persecuted by constant criticism

aggrieve implies suffering caused by an infringement or denial of rights.

a legal aid society representing aggrieved minority groups

Examples of wrong in a Sentence

Noun any reasonable person should be expected to know the difference between right and wrong trying to right all the wrongs in the world Adjective I don't want you to get the wrong impression of him. Don't take this the wrong way, but I think you should start exercising. Are my actions sending the wrong message? These pages are in the wrong order. I got four answers wrong on the test. You're wrong; the answer is six. You like baseball, or am I wrong? Am I wrong in thinking that she should never have gone? I think her birthday is May 11th, but I could be wrong. He thinks I can't win, but I'm going to prove him wrong. Adverb I entered the numbers wrong. Her name was spelled wrong on the form. I can't get this to work; could you show me what I did wrong? Verb We should forgive those who have wronged us. As the wronged party, you have the right to sue for damages.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Thinkers have instead been preoccupied with defining right or wrong based on interactions between independents, two people who are essentially equals. Elissa Strauss, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2024 The Right And Non-Consensus Quadrant Imagine a quadrant with two axes: consensus versus non-consensus and right versus wrong. Naren Manoharan, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Again, the Ngannou doubters were wrong, and one particularly high-profile doubter is a little lighter in the wallet because of it. Brian Mazique, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024 The skit also mocked a moment Baier acknowledged was a mistake by playing the wrong clip of a Trump response. CBS News, 20 Oct. 2024
Adverb
The Iran nuclear deal's impact is very important in terms of what is going right and what is going wrong in the Syrian crisis. Jeffrey Stacey, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2015 According to Gallup, companies get executive hires wrong an astounding 82% of the time. Rhett Power, Forbes, 6 Oct. 2024
Verb
Some of these movies were also clarion calls for justice for those unfairly wronged. Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Sep. 2024 With help from a fanboy teen with a mysterious past (Locke) and frenemy witch Rio Vidal (Plaza), Agatha breaks free of her chains, but is instantly pursued by all the powerful witches she's ever wronged. Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 19 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for wrong 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wrong.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English wrang, from *wrang, adjective, wrong

Adjective

Middle English, from Old English *wrang, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse rangr awry, wrong, Danish vrang wrong side; akin to Old English wringan to wring

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of wrong was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near wrong

Cite this Entry

“Wrong.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wrong. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

wrong

1 of 3 noun
1
: a harmful, unfair, or unjust act
2
: something that is wrong : wrong principles, practices, or conduct
know right from wrong
3
: the state, position, or fact of being or doing wrong
in the wrong

wrong

2 of 3 adjective
1
: not according to the moral standard : sinful, immoral
2
: not agreeing with proper behavior
it was wrong not to thank the hostess
3
: not suitable
wore the wrong clothes for a wedding
4
: not according to truth or facts : incorrect
a wrong answer on the test
5
: not satisfactory
there's something wrong about the story's ending
6
: not in agreement with one's needs, intentions, or expectations
took the wrong bus
7
: made so as to be placed down or under and not to be seen
the wrong side of a fabric
wrong adverb
wrongly adverb
wrongness noun

wrong

3 of 3 verb
wronged; wronging
ˈrȯŋ-iŋ
1
: to do wrong to : injure, harm
2
: to make unjust remarks about

Legal Definition

wrong

1 of 2 noun
1
: a violation of the rights of another
especially : tort
2
: something (as conduct, practices, or qualities) contrary to justice, goodness, equity, or law
the difference between right and wrong

wrong

2 of 2 transitive verb
: to do a wrong to : treat with injustice

More from Merriam-Webster on wrong

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