misunderstand
|mis-un-der-stand|
B2
🇺🇸
/ˌmɪsʌndərˈstænd/
🇬🇧
/ˌmɪsʌndəˈstænd/
failure to understand
Etymology
Etymology Information
'misunderstand' originates from Middle English, specifically the prefix 'mis-' meaning 'wrongly' and the verb 'understand' meaning 'to comprehend'.
Historical Evolution
'misunderstand' changed from the Middle English word 'misunderstanden' and eventually became the modern English word 'misunderstand'.
Meaning Changes
Initially, it meant 'to wrongly comprehend', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
to fail to understand something correctly.
I misunderstood the instructions and went the wrong way.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/01/11 11:39