wrong 1 of 4

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

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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

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
Maria Florinda Rios Perez, 32, was found dead in her husband's arms on the front porch of a home in Whitestown, Indiana, after the pair mistakenly showed up at the wrong address for a cleaning on Wednesday. Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 9 Nov. 2025 That is the wrong reason to do away with a filibuster. Isabella Murray, ABC News, 9 Nov. 2025
Noun
The universe is giving us another chance to mend fences, heal our hearts, and look back and right our wrongs or attempt to make good on former promises. Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 6 Nov. 2025 The American was weak on the ball, repeatedly chose the wrong or backwards option with his passes, and never looked like beating a defender. Beren Cross, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Adverb
By ignoring the quantity theory of money and employing neo-Keynesian macroeconomic models, central bankers are often wrong-footed. Nino Paoli, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2025 But doing it wrong—without the right resources, measurement, and speed—can waste budget, stall campaigns, and surrender market share to competitors. C200, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
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
  • Not making payments to them for even another day is simply unacceptable.
    Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Hufanga deemed that first-quarter Jeanty touchdown unacceptable because any touchdown is unacceptable at this point to Denver’s defense.
    Luca Evans, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Using incorrect or false case references in legal documents has real implications for defendants, because judges rely on these references to help form their rulings, Kjoller’s lawyers wrote.
    Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Appeals can be made based on factors including incorrect data, adverse testing conditions, and school or community emergencies, according to the State Board of Education.
    Erick Trevino, AZCentral.com, 5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • The class counsel has argued that objectors are raising either points that were already decided, inappropriate for this forum, or unreasonable to address.
    Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 5 Nov. 2025
  • But some former students recently accused Gabbard, whose name is on the high school gym floor, of inappropriate conduct.
    Victoria Moorwood, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Patients who received the erroneous letters can contact MaineHealth’s patient relations department to confirm their status — alive and well — and ensure their records remain accurate.
    Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2025
  • So that's completely erroneous.
    ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Still, the idea that Americans came together to help freedom seekers in the face of immoral laws offers hope for America’s truest ideals.
    Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 10 Nov. 2025
  • That suits its otherworldly and somewhat formal tone, which takes viewers deep into Japan’s mythical past for a quartet of eerie tales about lonely ghosts and vengeful spirits who bring supernatural justice to selfish and immoral humans.
    Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
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
  • There are also such dark social themes in the film as corporate power, media control, social injustice, unemployment, poverty, drugs, mental health, police-state dynamics, and violence.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 7 Nov. 2025
  • But Deza, a lawyer who is considerably savvier than the public defenders that her case was previously foisted upon, takes an interest in the injustice and agrees to represent her pro-bono.
    Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Nov. 2025
Adverb
  • Baltimore will badly need to add talented young players on affordable contracts to balance the team’s top-heavy salary structure.
    Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 5 Nov. 2025
  • The stock was very narrowly up for the year, badly trailing the broader market and Amazon's megacap peers.
    Annie Palmer, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wrong.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrong. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.

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