Meaning & use
misinterpret
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Meaning
verbtransitive
To understand the meaning of something wrongly, so that you reach a mistaken idea of what was intended.
Grammar: Takes an object: misinterpret the data, misinterpret a remark.
Patterns
- misinterpret something
- misinterpret something as something
She misinterpreted his silence as anger.
The tourists misinterpreted the sign and walked onto private land.
Readers often misinterpret the poem's last line.
Word forms
| third person singular | misinterprets |
|---|---|
| past tense | misinterpreted |
| past participle | misinterpreted |
| -ing form | misinterpreting |
Common combinations
- misinterpret the data
- The team misinterpreted the data and drew the wrong conclusion.
- misinterpret a remark
- I think you misinterpreted my remark.
- easily misinterpreted
- Sarcasm is easily misinterpreted in writing.
- misinterpret as
- They misinterpreted her smile as agreement.
- deliberately misinterpret
- He deliberately misinterpreted the rule to win.
Synonyms and how they differ
- misread
- Misread often refers to reading text or a situation wrongly, and it is less formal than misinterpret.
- misunderstand
- Misunderstand is the everyday word and is wider, since it also covers failing to follow instructions or speech.
- misconstrue
- Misconstrue is formal and often means giving words a wrong sense, especially when the speaker's intention is clear.
- distort
- Distort means to change facts on purpose, whereas misinterpret is usually an honest mistake.
Opposites
Word family
- misinterpretation noun
- a wrong understanding of something
- interpret verb
- to explain or understand the meaning of something
- interpreter noun
- a person who translates speech aloud
- misinterpreted adjective
- understood in a wrong way
Commonly confused: misinterpret or misquote?
misinterpret vs misquote
To misquote is to repeat someone's words wrongly, whereas to misinterpret is to get their meaning wrong.
Practice
Which sentence shows someone misinterpreting something?
Choose one answer.
Mistaking a friendly wave for a warning is a wrong understanding of meaning. The other sentences show correct understanding.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “misinterpret”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.