wrong 1 of 4

Definition of wrongnext
1
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard there is something wrong with this cake—it has a funny taste

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in incorrect
having an opinion that does not agree with truth or the facts I'm sorry, but the latest research proves you wrong

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
4
5
as in immoral
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable was caught doing something wrong

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

wrong

2 of 4

noun

wrong

3 of 4

adverb

wrong

4 of 4

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun wrong contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of wrong are grievance, injury, and injustice. While all these words mean "an act that inflicts undeserved hurt," 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

When might grievance be a better fit than wrong?

The words grievance and wrong are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

In what contexts can injury take the place of wrong?

Although the words injury and wrong have much in common, injury applies in law specifically to an injustice for which one may sue to recover compensation.

libel constitutes a legal injury

Where would injustice be a reasonable alternative to wrong?

The synonyms injustice and wrong are sometimes interchangeable, but injustice applies to any act that involves unfairness to another or violation of one's rights.

the injustices suffered by the lower classes

How does the noun wrong contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of wrong are grievance, injury, and injustice. While all these words mean "an act that inflicts undeserved hurt," 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

When might grievance be a better fit than wrong?

The words grievance and wrong are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

In what contexts can injury take the place of wrong?

Although the words injury and wrong have much in common, injury applies in law specifically to an injustice for which one may sue to recover compensation.

libel constitutes a legal injury

Where would injustice be a reasonable alternative to wrong?

The synonyms injustice and wrong are sometimes interchangeable, but injustice applies to any act that involves unfairness to another or violation of one's rights.

the injustices suffered by the lower classes

How does the noun wrong contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of wrong are grievance, injury, and injustice. While all these words mean "an act that inflicts undeserved hurt," 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

When might grievance be a better fit than wrong?

The words grievance and wrong are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

In what contexts can injury take the place of wrong?

Although the words injury and wrong have much in common, injury applies in law specifically to an injustice for which one may sue to recover compensation.

libel constitutes a legal injury

Where would injustice be a reasonable alternative to wrong?

The synonyms injustice and wrong are sometimes interchangeable, but injustice applies to any act that involves unfairness to another or violation of one's rights.

the injustices suffered by the lower classes

How does the noun wrong contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of wrong are grievance, injury, and injustice. While all these words mean "an act that inflicts undeserved hurt," 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

When might grievance be a better fit than wrong?

The words grievance and wrong are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

In what contexts can injury take the place of wrong?

Although the words injury and wrong have much in common, injury applies in law specifically to an injustice for which one may sue to recover compensation.

libel constitutes a legal injury

Where would injustice be a reasonable alternative to wrong?

The synonyms injustice and wrong are sometimes interchangeable, but injustice applies to any act that involves unfairness to another or violation of one's rights.

the injustices suffered by the lower classes

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wrong
Adjective
He's set to be shipped out to the space prison MS One, where only the baddest of the bad reside – in stasis, though, where absolutely nothing can totally go wrong, right? Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 25 Apr. 2026 Instead, some families received urns with concrete to replace dead people's ashes, and the Hallfords gave families the wrong body at least twice. Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
Noun
Nick Offerman rounds out the complex family unit as Margo’s estranged father, Jinx, a former pro wrestler fresh out of rehab who returns to her life in an attempt to right his wrongs. Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026 Chicago has already seen the consequences of getting this wrong. Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Adverb
While the initial explanation from the Padres was that King slept wrong, doctors told him the nerve got stretched too much over time and essentially shut off for a while. Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026 Trump’s taste is the stuff of legend, a sort of grotesque of the conventional, with his gold baroque glop and fake tans and bright-red neckties—everything gesturing toward high-end elegance but always wrong somehow, always slightly too much. Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Verb
The Mastermind was a trio of former houseguests who felt they were wronged in the game: Jesse, Frankie and Jury votes for Big Brother winner The jury then makes their nominations. Christopher Kuhagen, jsonline.com, 28 Sep. 2025 In Gus Van Sant’s Dead Man’s Wire, Skarsgard does the Dog Day Afternoon thing as a charismatic criminal seeking retribution against a system that has wronged him. Joe Reid, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wrong
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrong
Adjective
  • Ultimately, this will mean more encampments, more preventable deaths in the streets, and more individuals and families with no other option but to live in unsafe and unacceptable conditions.
    Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Not ready for prime time Amazon’s Prime Video losing its feed in overtime of the Charlotte Hornets-Miami Heat play-in game was unacceptable for a streaming network that deems itself big time.
    Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Intelligence is basically anything with a pretty clear definition between the set of correct and incorrect answers—think tasks in coding, mathematics, physics, and even some tasks in accounting, law, or medicine.
    Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
  • The market said the confusion came from incorrect AI search results on apps like Google and Instagram.
    Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • In a stunning turn of events, news broke that Moore had allegedly been carrying on an inappropriate relationship with an athletic department employee.
    Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
  • The news comes as several members of Congress have faced ethics investigations, including inappropriate relationships with staff members, that have led to three resignations.
    Danielle Battaglia, Charlotte Observer, 23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • This story has been updated to remove erroneous information on funding for the Boulevard Green project and to correct details on the trip to Dallas.
    Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 17 Apr. 2026
  • American Express is pledging to protect users from erroneous transactions made by agents that are registered with Amex.
    Jack Kubinec, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • And never mind that this is simply wrong, almost to the point of being immoral.
    The Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2026
  • To do so is to be tacitly complicit in what these companies know to be wrong, unethical and immoral.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 7 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • While working together on The Unit, David Mamet once told you that good drama isn’t a choice between good and bad; good drama is the choice between two bads.
    Max Gao, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Jan. 2025
  • Reports out of fall camp haven’t been super favorable to their offense, and while the defense will, again, be top-notch, a team with this bad of an offense cannot be trusted.
    Austin Mock, The Athletic, 19 Aug. 2024
Noun
  • Which is to say that its power as a mode of redress in the first sense—as agent for proclaiming and correcting injustices—is being appealed to constantly.
    Nick Laird, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
  • Erik Ortiz Erik Ortiz is a senior reporter for NBC News Digital focusing on racial injustice and social inequality.
    Erik Ortiz, NBC news, 24 Apr. 2026
Adverb
  • Yes, some of it has aged badly, said Sarah Hemming in the Financial Times.
    The Week UK, TheWeek, 23 Apr. 2026
  • This is not the first time that badly behaved tourists have been linked to damaged to the fountain.
    Jack Guy, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Wrong.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrong. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.

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