misconstrue

verb

mis·​con·​strue ˌmis-kən-ˈstrü How to pronounce misconstrue (audio)
misconstrued; misconstruing

transitive verb

1
: to interpret (something, such as a statement or action) wrongly : misinterpret
misconstrued her words/meaning/silence
He does not want his real name used in the newspaper because even the most innocent statement could be misconstrued here and lead to trouble, he says.Lynne Duke
I instantly turned away, lest he should see and misconstrue my emotion.Anne Brontë
2
: to misinterpret the meaning, intention, or character of (someone)
… it is the post-Vietnam revisionists who have most ironically misconstrued [Herman] Melville.Frederick Crews
… a sad sack whom no one would misconstrue as charming.Karen Karbo

Examples of misconstrue in a Sentence

claimed that the press had misconstrued her comments
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
However, Minhaj disputed their claims, stating that the accusations published in the story were misconstrued. Rebecca Aizin, People.com, 23 Oct. 2024 Nicole Kidman and Salma Hayek went viral this week for what appeared to be tension captured on video, but a source tells PEOPLE exclusively that the incident has been misconstrued. Michelle Lee, People.com, 14 Oct. 2024 Beckham noted that while the accessibility of designers at smaller brands often lends itself to custom work compared to heritage brands, that accessibility can also sometimes be misconstrued. Kristen Tauer, WWD, 19 Sep. 2024 Conversations like this can be awkward and, if approached incorrectly, may even be misconstrued as a sign of infidelity or mistrust. James Myhre & Dennis Sifris, Md, Verywell Health, 14 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for misconstrue 

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of misconstrue was in the 15th century

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near misconstrue

Cite this Entry

“Misconstrue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misconstrue. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

misconstrue

verb
mis·​con·​strue
ˌmis-kən-ˈstrü
: to construe wrongly : misinterpret

More from Merriam-Webster on misconstrue

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!