misinterpret

verb

mis·​in·​ter·​pret ˌmi-sᵊn-ˈtər-prət 

-pət

misinterpreted; misinterpreting; misinterprets

transitive verb

1

: to explain wrongly

His comment on the speech misinterprets the speaker's meaning.

2

: to understand wrongly

Their silence should not be misinterpreted as consent.

Synonyms of misinterpret

• misrepresent
• distort

Examples of misinterpret in a Sentence

He claims that his statements have been misinterpreted by the media.

Her silence should not be misinterpreted as consent.

Recent Examples on the Web

Put the agreement in simple terms so nothing gets misinterpreted. —Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026

Comey says the image was political commentary, not a call to violence, and removed the post immediately after realizing some people were misinterpreting it as threatening. —Eric Tucker, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026

People begin to misinterpret numbers and dangerously believe the data replaces clinical support. —Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 24 Apr. 2026

Keep your messages direct so nothing gets misinterpreted. —Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for misinterpret

• reinterpret
• interpret

Kids Definition

misinterpret

verb

mis·​in·​ter·​pret ˌmis-ᵊn-ˈtər-prət 

-pət

: to understand or explain wrongly

misinterpretation

-ˌtər-prə-ˈtā-shən 

-pə-ˈtā-

noun