misinform

IPA/ˌmɪsɪnˈfɔːm/
KK[mɪsˌɪnfˈɔrm]IPA/ˌmɪsɪnˈfɔːrm/

misinform — verb

  • misinformpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • misinformshe / she / it
  • misinformedpast simple
  • misinforming-ing form

1. to deliberately or accidentally tell someone something that is false, causing th

1.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to deliberately or accidentally tell someone something that is false, causing them to have an incorrect understanding of a situation or fact.

Example

The article misinformed readers about the safety of the new vaccine.

misinform + object + about + noun phrase

Aiko felt that the travel agent had misinformed her about the visa requirements for Japan.

passive-like structure with 'felt that'

Common collocations
  • misinform the public
  • misinform someone about something
  • deliberately misinform
  • misinform voters
  • systematically misinform
Synonyms
  • mislead

    softer than 'misinform'; can mean causing a wrong impression without stating anything false directly.

  • deceive

    stronger and always implies deliberate trickery; carries moral judgment.

  • give false information

    a neutral, everyday multi-word alternative without the formality of 'misinform'.

Antonyms
  • inform

    to give correct, accurate facts to someone.

Grammar Patterns

misinform + object

misinform + object + about + noun phrase

Usage Note

Commonly used in the passive voice (e.g., 'be misinformed by/about'). The adverb 'deliberately' often appears when the speaker wants to emphasise intent.

Common Mistakes

The website misinformed.
The website misinformed visitors about the opening hours.
'misinform' requires a direct object; you cannot drop the person who received wrong information.
I misinformed the meaning of her email.
I misunderstood the meaning of her email.
'misinform' means giving wrong info to someone else; use 'misunderstand' when you yourself interpret something wrongly.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

To misinform someone is to give them wrong facts, and the word does not necessarily imply bad intent — the person might simply have used an outdated source. Mislead is broader: you can mislead someone by omission or by creating a false impression without stating anything untrue. Deceive is always deliberate and suggests a calculated effort to make someone believe something false. Lie to is the most direct and personal term — it means saying something you know is false. Give false information is the most neutral, everyday option, common in journalism and official contexts. For example, a travel agent who misinforms a client about visa rules may have read an old guide, while one who knowingly invents details to close a sale is deceiving.

misinform ↗misleaddeceive ↗lie togive false information

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • misinform someone as to
  • be misinformed by

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Misinform comes from the Latin prefix 'male-' (meaning 'badly' or 'wrongly'), which passed through Old French as 'mes-', attached to the verb 'inform' (from Latin 'informare' — 'to give form or shape'). So the word literally means 'to inform wrongly'.