misdiagnose

verb

mis·​di·​ag·​nose ˌmis-ˈdī-ig-ˌnōs 

-ˌnōz, 

ˌdī-ig-ˈnōs, 

-ˈnōz, 

-əg-

misdiagnosed; misdiagnosing

transitive verb

: to diagnose (someone or something) incorrectly

… babesiosis is often missed or misdiagnosed as malaria or flu.

—Linda Marsa

The researchers added that children with this disease are often misdiagnosed and thus inappropriately treated …

—Jane E. Brody

Examples of misdiagnose in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Vision problems can often mimic symptoms of ADHD, learning disabilities, or other conditions, making misdiagnoses a common occurrence. —Christina Mayo, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026

Far too often, symptoms such as fatigue, swelling, shortness of breath and nerve pain are misdiagnosed or dismissed. —Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026

Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe’s knee injury was misdiagnosed after team officials performed an MRI on the wrong leg. —The Sports Desk, NBC news, 25 Mar. 2026

That means one in four patients might be misdiagnosed! —Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for misdiagnose

• arabinose
• arpeggios
• chlorpyrifos
• manifestoes
• manifestos
• pistachios
• politicos
• portfolios
• superimpose
• agarose
• aliquots
• amigos

Medical Definition

misdiagnose

transitive verb

mis·​di·​ag·​nose (ˈ)mis-ˈdī-ig-ˌnōs, -ˌnōz 

misdiagnosed; misdiagnosing

: to diagnose incorrectly