misunderstand
/ˌmɪsʌndəˈstænd/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌmɪsʌndərˈstænd/ (ame, ipa) · /(ˌ)mi-ˌsən-dər-ˈstand/ (ame, mw)
misunderstand — verb
- misunderstandpresent simple I / you / we / they
- misunderstandshe / she / it
- misunderstoodpast simple
- misunderstanding-ing form
1. to form a wrong idea about what someone says or what something means, believing
to form a wrong idea about what someone says or what something means, believing something that is not true
Ishaan misunderstood the bus timetable and ended up waiting for an hour.
misunderstood + noun phrase as direct object
Aoi's note said 'meet at seven,' but Romi misunderstood and arrived at six.
When the teacher explained the task, João misunderstood and wrote on the wrong topic.
The printed instructions were so unclear that they were easily misunderstood.
Tara tried to ask for directions but her question was misunderstood by the stranger.
- misread
suggests misjudging a situation or someone's feelings
- misinterpret
focuses on assigning the wrong meaning to words or actions
- misconstrue
more formal, often implies a negative or wilful misunderstanding
- understand
general term for grasping meaning correctly
- grasp
to understand something completely
文法句型
misunderstand + noun phrase
misunderstand + wh-clause
用法筆記
This sense commonly takes a direct object (misunderstand the question, misunderstand someone) or is used intransitively (I misunderstood). The past tense is most frequent in apologies and explanations.
常見錯誤
2. used when people fail to see someone's good qualities, leaving that person with
used when people fail to see someone's good qualities, leaving that person with the feeling that others do not truly know them
Adaeze felt misunderstood by her classmates, who saw her shyness as unfriendliness.
felt misunderstood — passive-like sense with 'feel'
Omar was often misunderstood as a child because he preferred reading to playing sports.
was misunderstood + time context (as a child)
The inventor was misunderstood by her peers, who laughed at her early designs.
Yael thinks her manager completely misunderstands her working style, so his feedback misses the mark.
Romi's quiet personality was often misunderstood by people who expected constant conversation.
- unappreciated
emphasises lack of recognition rather than lack of understanding
- misjudged
focuses on people forming an incorrect opinion about someone
- understood
general opposite
- appreciated
implies that good qualities are recognised
文法句型
be misunderstood
be misunderstood + by + noun phrase
用法筆記
Most natural in the passive voice (be misunderstood) or with stative adjectives (feel misunderstood). The active form (someone misunderstands someone) is possible but less common, typically describing a repeated pattern rather than a single event.