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Definition of misunderstand verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

misunderstand

verb
 
/ˌmɪsʌndəˈstænd/
 
/ˌmɪsʌndərˈstænd/
[transitive, intransitive]
Word Family
  • understand verb (≠ misunderstand)
  • understandable adjective
  • understanding noun (≠ misunderstanding)
  • understanding adjective
  • misunderstood adjective
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they misunderstand
 
/ˌmɪsʌndəˈstænd/
 
/ˌmɪsʌndərˈstænd/
he / she / it misunderstands
 
/ˌmɪsʌndəˈstændz/
 
/ˌmɪsʌndərˈstændz/
past simple misunderstood
 
/ˌmɪsʌndəˈstʊd/
 
/ˌmɪsʌndərˈstʊd/
past participle misunderstood
 
/ˌmɪsʌndəˈstʊd/
 
/ˌmɪsʌndərˈstʊd/
-ing form misunderstanding
 
/ˌmɪsʌndəˈstændɪŋ/
 
/ˌmɪsʌndərˈstændɪŋ/
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  1. to fail to understand somebody/something correctly
    • misunderstand (somebody/something) I completely misunderstood her intentions.
    • Don't misunderstand me—I am grateful for all you've done.
    • I thought he was her husband—I must have misunderstood.
    • misunderstand what, how, etc… She must have misunderstood what I was trying to say.
    • misunderstand something as something His concern for their safety was misunderstood as interference.
    Extra Examples
    • a charming and much misunderstood man
    • Always give clear instructions so that they won't be misunderstood.
    • Many mental health problems are widely misunderstood.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • badly
    • completely
    • fundamentally
    preposition
    • as
    phrases
    • be frequently misunderstood
    • be often misunderstood
    • be widely misunderstood
    See full entry
See misunderstand in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee misunderstand in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
generic
adjective
 
 
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