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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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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
The Final Destination: The NASCAR incident The opening disaster of The Final Destination is a NASCAR race gone horribly wrong. Keith Langston, People.com, 18 May 2025 The hotel workers’ union countered by saying business groups have made similar warnings in the past, only to be proved wrong. Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2025
Noun
There are folks who criticize overreliance on government, but in the case of African Americans, the promises made to Black communities were responses to previous wrongs. Ken Makin, Christian Science Monitor, 25 Apr. 2025 Like him, Hur Jin-ho is concerned with the fragility of moral standing and how mercurial these not-so-concrete notions of right and wrong can be when evil sleeps just down the hall. David Opie, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2025
Adverb
The most urgent task for humans is to figure out when things are going wrong—and even that could soon be handed over to AI. Russell Brandom, WIRED, 24 Feb. 2025 When things were going wrong at Manchester United, the story was about his decline, about the kid who was the future once but, for reasons too varied and nuanced to boil down into responsible talking points, had become persona non grata at Old Trafford. Nick Miller, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
Verb
Due to his past mishaps, Jake has wronged a lot of people who now shun him. Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 25 Mar. 2025 Hall’s principal contention to King was that she had been wronged by the union that represents exempt city employees. Joe Rubin, Sacramento Bee, 25 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wrong
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrong
Adjective
  • All these attacks are unacceptable, and this isn't just an American problem.
    Mandalit del Barco, NPR, 13 May 2025
  • That should be unacceptable to American negotiators.
    Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 12 May 2025
Adjective
  • Common factors that contribute to misconfigurations include: • Human Error: Typing mistakes, syntax errors or incorrect command sequences.
    Alexander Britkin, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
  • That is the correct decision for her and her game, but also the incorrect decision for all of us at home watching a television program.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 8 May 2025
Adjective
  • Originally a producer on the project, he was fired for cause after at least one incident of inappropriate behavior on Runner that included bullying and yelling at crew.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 9 May 2025
  • Screenshot inappropriate gun marketing content and circulate it.
    Sarah Scott, Parents, 9 May 2025
Adjective
  • Still, Abrego Garcia’s deportation to El Salvador was erroneous, the government said.
    Ashley Oliver, The Washington Examiner, 30 Apr. 2025
  • There’s a chance the erroneous WinRE error might be a little persistent.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Altering Medicaid in any way that decreases services, decreases funding to the states, or builds roadblocks to care is immoral and against Christian values.
    Dr. James W. Cox-Chapman, Hartford Courant, 11 May 2025
  • Under him, juvenile justice is unjust, and the department has been spending in ways that are immoral and not proper accounting or spending of taxes.
    Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 8 May 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 was a bit of injustice there but the main thing was the noise from the crowd.
    James Pearce, New York Times, 2 May 2025
  • As occult expert and in-demand exorcist John Constantine, Reeves’s athletic grace and simmering fury at the world’s injustices give the supernatural neo-noir its emotional grounding.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2025
Adverb
  • That is a big part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: people of low character behaving badly.
    Jason Newman, Rolling Stone, 10 May 2025
  • That lesson is one that Washington badly needs to learn.
    Faisal Kutty, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wrong.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrong. Accessed 22 May. 2025.

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