transitive verb

: to hear wrongly

intransitive verb

: to misunderstand what is heard

Examples of mishear in a Sentence

You misheard me. I said I was feeling anxious, not angry. I must have misheard the instructions. I misheard “mother” as “mutter.”
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These assistants regularly misunderstand, mishear, and sometimes just don’t listen at all. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, The Verge, 14 June 2024 She's confused: Did Adrian mishear something or is Brayden being manipulative? Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 4 July 2023

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of mishear was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near mishear

Cite this Entry

“Mishear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mishear. Accessed 6 Jan. 2025.

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