misread

verb

mis·​read ˌmis-ˈrēd 

misread ˌmis-ˈred  ; misreading ˌmis-ˈrē-diŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to read incorrectly

2

: to misinterpret in or as if in reading

totally misread the lesson of history

—Christopher Hollis

Synonyms

• misapprehend
• misconstrue
• misinterpret
• misknow
• misperceive
• miss
• mistake
• misunderstand

Examples of misread in a Sentence

I guess I misread the instructions.

They have misread the lessons of the past.

Politicians may have misread the mood of the public.

I badly misread the situation.

Recent Examples on the Web

Those who seek conciliation with Trump are misreading the country. —Joe Mathews, The Mercury News, 13 Dec. 2024

Some have unstable internet connections, others misread the sheet music, and others might even intentionally play off-key—not just as a prank but to sabotage the performance out of rivalry or to undermine the concert’s success for personal gain. —Gary Weinstein, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024

But his only other hit over the past three games came on a slow roller Pete Alonso misread at first base. —Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2024

Over the past two years, the U.S. consumer has been misread and then misread again. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1658, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

misread

verb

mis·​read (ˈ)mis-ˈrēd 

misread -ˈred  ; misreading -ˈrēd-iŋ 

1

: to read incorrectly

2

: to misinterpret in or as if in reading