verb B2 Upper-Intermediate Uncommon

misunderstand

mihs-uhn-duh-STAND

Misunderstand (verb) means to understand something incorrectly. Example: “I think you misunderstood what I meant.”

verb

To understand something incorrectly.

"I think you misunderstood what I meant."

"It's easy to misunderstand sarcasm in a text message."

How to use misunderstand

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo get the wrong idea about what someone said or meant.

Common pairings

easily misunderstood misunderstand a joke

misunderstood past tense, misunderstands singular

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Can you complete this real example?

It's easy to _____ sarcasm in a text message.

From mis- ("wrongly") plus understand.

misinterpret be amiss misconstrue misconceive misapprehend

misapprehend misconceive misconstrue misinterpret

understand

What does “misunderstand” mean?

The word “misunderstand” means to understand something incorrectly. In plain terms, to get the wrong idea about what someone said or meant.

How do you pronounce “misunderstand”?

“Misunderstand” is pronounced mihs-uhn-duh-STAND (/mɪs.ʌn.də(ɹ)ˈstænd/ in IPA).

How do you use “misunderstand” in a sentence?

Here is “misunderstand” used in a sentence: “It's easy to misunderstand sarcasm in a text message.”

What part of speech is “misunderstand”?

“Misunderstand” is a verb.

Is “misunderstand” a common word?

“Misunderstand” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

misapprehend misconceive misconstrue misinterpret