Meaning & use
misunderstand
To fail to understand something correctly, or to interpret someone's words or actions wrongly.
See it in a sentence
Please don't misunderstand me; I meant the meeting was helpful, not unnecessary.
Tourists sometimes misunderstand local customs and unintentionally cause offense.
A note on using this word
Misunderstand is often used in polite phrases like "don't get me wrong" to soften disagreement.
Words with a similar meaning
misinterpretmisread
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
understand
Make it your own
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