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
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
wrongness
noun
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
Synonyms
Noun
Adjective
- bad
- bastard
- bush
- bush-league
- crummy
- crumby
- deficient
- dissatisfactory
- ill
- inferior
- lame
- lousy
- off
- paltry
- poor
- punk
- sour
- suboptimal
- subpar
- substandard
- unacceptable
- unsatisfactory
- wack [slang]
- wanting
- wretched
Adverb
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
Ewa Krukowska, Fortune Europe, 5 Apr. 2024
PolitiFact Wisconsin, Trump again flat wrong with claims about Wisconsin voter fraud, Nov. 20, 2020.
PolitiFact Wisconsin, Trump whiffs describing Wisconsin ballot case, Oct. 9, 2020.
—Journal Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2024
Injunctive relief also applies to the future—it's intended to stop a wrong from happening.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Perhaps, the series suggests, some wrongs can never be made right.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024
OnePlus Makes a Comeback With the OnePlus Watch 2
OnePlus has returned to correct the many wrongs of its first smartwatch with the Watch 2.
—Julian Chokkattu Simon Hill, WIRED, 26 Feb. 2024
The state awarded the first retail licenses to people previously arrested for cannabis, an equity program meant to chip away at the lasting wrongs from the War on Drugs.
—Wesley Parnell, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2024
While the criminal case plays out, the Army is also contending with civil complaints like these brought by accusers who filed under the Federal Torts Claims Act, which allows individuals to bring claims against federal agencies for wrongs allegedly committed by personnel of that agency.
—Clare Hymes, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2024
As would become the pattern, the collective determination to redress the wrongs of slavery evaporated under opposition.
—Nikole Hannah-Jones, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024
Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
The surviving ones are now living in the wrong waterway.
—Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 5 Apr. 2024
The officer then grips his arm again and asks what is wrong.
—Cameron MacDonald, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024
After a slew of airline troubles, the Haitian-American artist finally got to Miami, only then to go to the wrong Miami Dade College campus.
—C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024
Picking the wrong person could set the franchise back even further, which is something the Hornets can’t afford.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 4 Apr. 2024
When reformed safecracker Charly (Frederick Lau) is forced to take part in a robbery that goes horribly wrong, the peaceful new life he's built in Berlin with his wife Samira (Svenja Jung) and her son Jonas (Jonathan Tittel) is threatened by some of Europe's most notorious crime lords.
—Megan McCluskey, TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
Not that there’s anything wrong with degrees, of course.
—Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2024
Dean has a few tricks up his sleeve: Turn up to a pitching presentation with the wrong investor’s name on the deck.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune Europe, 24 Mar. 2024
ABC News, 20 Mar. 2024
Recent data on the economy has shown that growth accelerated last year even as inflation returned closer to the Federal Reserve’s 2% target, proving wrong a multitude of Wall Street and academic economists who said a recession would be the consequence of efforts to lower inflation.
—Josh Boak, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2024
This latest research is a good step in explaining what might be going wrong in the immune systems of people with lingering symptoms.
—Lisa Jarvis, Twin Cities, 28 Jan. 2024
New Year’s Resolutions felt like a ridiculous lift because everything was going wrong at the same time.
—TIME, 27 Dec. 2023
Picking up in the premiere, written by Eric Martin and directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, things are going wrong at the TVA due to Sylvie’s actions.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Oct. 2023
In a quip characteristic of the mercurial judge, Carter warned reporters after the hearing to be wary of describing the ruling with a finality that could turn out wrong.
—Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2023
That is a – and that's part of what is going wrong now.
—Nbc Universal, NBC News, 9 July 2023
Perhaps the most important thing to know is that there isn't one right way to load a dishwasher, but there are a great many ways to go wrong in between.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2023
Avi Selk, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
The prosecution, played by Greg Kinnear, brings out a parade of people who have been wronged by David, all to complain about him (Mocha Joe, Mr. Takahashi).
—Esther Zuckerman, Rolling Stone, 8 Apr. 2024
In this approach, an individual actively tries to ruffle feathers or make things worse due to feelings of being wronged or vengeance.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Alternatively, things can wrong with the exchange, creating an awkward situation for diner and staff alike.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 10 Mar. 2024
The Steiners started their website in 1999 and gave a voice to those who may have been wronged by eBay, and the company did not like that, according to their statement.
—USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2024
Now, some Chinese consumers think they’ve been wronged by the US government sanctions and are gravitating toward Huawei’s Mate 60 smartphone, which is edging into Apple volumes.
—Samantha Murphy Kelly, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024
The individual may believe they have been wronged or led on and possibly develop delusions of persecution to maintain their delusional belief system.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
The Knicks believe they were wronged and are seeking a resolution that would give them a chance to alter the game, such as replaying the final 8.3 seconds – the point at which Houston in-bounded the basketball.
—Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024
Noun
Getting the overhaul wrong would mean companies and consumers foot a huge multi-trillion-euro bill for the green transition while handing an edge to China and the US.
—Ewa Krukowska, Fortune Europe, 5 Apr. 2024
PolitiFact Wisconsin, Trump again flat wrong with claims about Wisconsin voter fraud, Nov. 20, 2020.
PolitiFact Wisconsin, Trump whiffs describing Wisconsin ballot case, Oct. 9, 2020.
—Journal Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2024
Injunctive relief also applies to the future—it's intended to stop a wrong from happening.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Perhaps, the series suggests, some wrongs can never be made right.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024
OnePlus Makes a Comeback With the OnePlus Watch 2
OnePlus has returned to correct the many wrongs of its first smartwatch with the Watch 2.
—Julian Chokkattu Simon Hill, WIRED, 26 Feb. 2024
The state awarded the first retail licenses to people previously arrested for cannabis, an equity program meant to chip away at the lasting wrongs from the War on Drugs.
—Wesley Parnell, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2024
While the criminal case plays out, the Army is also contending with civil complaints like these brought by accusers who filed under the Federal Torts Claims Act, which allows individuals to bring claims against federal agencies for wrongs allegedly committed by personnel of that agency.
—Clare Hymes, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2024
As would become the pattern, the collective determination to redress the wrongs of slavery evaporated under opposition.
—Nikole Hannah-Jones, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024
Adjective
There were so many ways to attack it, and none of them was wrong.
—Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
The surviving ones are now living in the wrong waterway.
—Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 5 Apr. 2024
The officer then grips his arm again and asks what is wrong.
—Cameron MacDonald, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024
After a slew of airline troubles, the Haitian-American artist finally got to Miami, only then to go to the wrong Miami Dade College campus.
—C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024
Picking the wrong person could set the franchise back even further, which is something the Hornets can’t afford.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 4 Apr. 2024
When reformed safecracker Charly (Frederick Lau) is forced to take part in a robbery that goes horribly wrong, the peaceful new life he's built in Berlin with his wife Samira (Svenja Jung) and her son Jonas (Jonathan Tittel) is threatened by some of Europe's most notorious crime lords.
—Megan McCluskey, TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
Not that there’s anything wrong with degrees, of course.
—Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2024
Dean has a few tricks up his sleeve: Turn up to a pitching presentation with the wrong investor’s name on the deck.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune Europe, 24 Mar. 2024
Adverb
And there was this very kind of glowing view that was presented to a lot of white evangelicals for many years about the history of the country and a sense that anything that was going wrong in the country was a result of falling away from that, falling away from Christianity.
—ABC News, 20 Mar. 2024
Recent data on the economy has shown that growth accelerated last year even as inflation returned closer to the Federal Reserve’s 2% target, proving wrong a multitude of Wall Street and academic economists who said a recession would be the consequence of efforts to lower inflation.
—Josh Boak, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2024
This latest research is a good step in explaining what might be going wrong in the immune systems of people with lingering symptoms.
—Lisa Jarvis, Twin Cities, 28 Jan. 2024
New Year’s Resolutions felt like a ridiculous lift because everything was going wrong at the same time.
—TIME, 27 Dec. 2023
Picking up in the premiere, written by Eric Martin and directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, things are going wrong at the TVA due to Sylvie’s actions.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Oct. 2023
In a quip characteristic of the mercurial judge, Carter warned reporters after the hearing to be wary of describing the ruling with a finality that could turn out wrong.
—Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2023
That is a – and that's part of what is going wrong now.
—Nbc Universal, NBC News, 9 July 2023
Perhaps the most important thing to know is that there isn't one right way to load a dishwasher, but there are a great many ways to go wrong in between.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2023
Verb
The episode saw Larry facing trial in Atlanta for doing something uncharacteristically decent — only for the prosecutor to call as witnesses many of the people Larry had wronged over the course of the show’s 12-season run.
—Avi Selk, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
The prosecution, played by Greg Kinnear, brings out a parade of people who have been wronged by David, all to complain about him (Mocha Joe, Mr. Takahashi).
—Esther Zuckerman, Rolling Stone, 8 Apr. 2024
In this approach, an individual actively tries to ruffle feathers or make things worse due to feelings of being wronged or vengeance.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Alternatively, things can wrong with the exchange, creating an awkward situation for diner and staff alike.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 10 Mar. 2024
The Steiners started their website in 1999 and gave a voice to those who may have been wronged by eBay, and the company did not like that, according to their statement.
—USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2024
Now, some Chinese consumers think they’ve been wronged by the US government sanctions and are gravitating toward Huawei’s Mate 60 smartphone, which is edging into Apple volumes.
—Samantha Murphy Kelly, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024
The individual may believe they have been wronged or led on and possibly develop delusions of persecution to maintain their delusional belief system.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
The Knicks believe they were wronged and are seeking a resolution that would give them a chance to alter the game, such as replaying the final 8.3 seconds – the point at which Houston in-bounded the basketball.
—Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024
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
Phrases Containing wrong
Dictionary Entries Near wrong
Cite this Entry
“Wrong.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wrong. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
wrong
1 of 3 noun1
: 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 adjective2
: 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
Legal Definition
wrong
1 of 2 noun1
: 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
Nglish: Translation of wrong for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of wrong for Arabic Speakers
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