Library / English Dictionary

MISUNDERSTAND

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected form: misunderstood   

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Interpret in the wrong way

Example:

She misconstrued my remarks

Synonyms:

be amiss; misapprehend; misconceive; misconstrue; misinterpret; misunderstand

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "misunderstand" is one way to...):

construe; interpret; see (make sense of; assign a meaning to)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence examples:

They won't misunderstand the story

Sam and Sue misunderstand the movie

Derivation:

misunderstanding (an understanding of something that is not correct)

misunderstanding (putting the wrong interpretation on)

Credits

 Context examples: 

We should have said Pray do not invite us, at any time; and all possibility of misunderstanding would have been avoided.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Such was the sentence which, when misunderstood, so justly offended the delicate feelings of Mrs. Jennings; but after this narration of what really passed between Colonel Brandon and Elinor, while they stood at the window, the gratitude expressed by the latter on their parting, may perhaps appear in general, not less reasonably excited, nor less properly worded than if it had arisen from an offer of marriage.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

We asked him to come home with us for a day or two: Charles undertook to give him some shooting, and he seemed quite delighted, and, for my part, I thought it was all settled; when behold! on Tuesday night, he made a very awkward sort of excuse; 'he never shot' and he had 'been quite misunderstood,' and he had promised this and he had promised that, and the end of it was, I found, that he did not mean to come.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

And with regard to their influencing public manners, Miss Crawford must not misunderstand me, or suppose I mean to call them the arbiters of good-breeding, the regulators of refinement and courtesy, the masters of the ceremonies of life.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

I could not have misunderstood a thing of that kind, you know!

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

Ruth misunderstood his slang, and reverted to cigarettes.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Elizabeth felt that they had entirely misunderstood his character, but said nothing.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

I should not have thought it possible, she began, that you could have misunderstood me!

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

You will find she is some young lady who has had a misunderstanding with her friends, and has probably injudiciously left them.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Do not allow a trivial misunderstanding to wither the blossoms of spring, which, once put forth and blighted, cannot be renewed.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)