Misunderstand: meaning, definitions and examples

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misunderstand

[ ˌmɪsʌndərˈstænd ]

^{Context #1}

in communication

To fail to understand or interpret correctly. It can lead to confusion, conflicts, and mistakes.

Synonyms

misconstrue, misinterpret, misperceive

Examples of usage

He tends to misunderstand my jokes.
If you don't clarify your message, people may misunderstand your intentions.
She misunderstood the instructions and ended up making a mistake.
I'm sorry if I misunderstood what you were trying to say.
Misunderstandings can easily arise when there is a language barrier.

Translations

Translations of the word "misunderstand" in other languages:

🇵🇹 entender mal

🇮🇳 गलत समझना

🇩🇪 missverstehen

🇮🇩 salah paham

🇺🇦 неправильно зрозуміти

🇵🇱 źle zrozumieć

🇯🇵 誤解する (ごかいする)

🇫🇷 mal comprendre

🇪🇸 malentender

🇹🇷 yanlış anlamak

🇰🇷 오해하다

🇸🇦 سوء الفهم

🇨🇿 špatně pochopit

🇸🇰 zle pochopiť

🇨🇳 误解 (wùjiě)

🇸🇮 narobe razumeti

🇮🇸 misskilja

🇰🇿 дұрыс түсінбеу

🇬🇪 არასწორად გაგება

🇦🇿 səhv başa düşmək

🇲🇽 malentender

Word origin

The word 'misunderstand' originated from Middle English in the late 14th century. It is a combination of the prefix 'mis-' meaning 'wrongly' or 'badly' and the word 'understand' which comes from Old English 'understandan', meaning 'comprehend'. Over the centuries, 'misunderstand' has evolved to describe the act of not interpreting something correctly, often leading to confusion or mistakes.