Misunderstand

Pronunciation: /ˌmɪs.ʌn.dɚˈstænd/

Definitions of misunderstand

verb to interpret or explain incorrectly; to fail to understand or interpret correctly

Example Sentences

A1 I often misunderstand my friend's jokes.

A2 She misunderstood the instructions and ended up making a mistake.

B1 It's easy to misunderstand someone's tone in a text message.

B2 He misunderstood her intentions and thought she was being rude.

C1 The translation was inaccurate because the meaning was misunderstood.

C2 It is crucial to clarify any potential misunderstandings in a professional setting.

Examples of misunderstand in a Sentence

formal It is important to clarify any potential misunderstandings in the contract before signing.

informal I think you misunderstood what I meant by that joke.

slang Don't trip, she just misunderstood your intentions.

figurative In the world of art, a piece that is open to interpretation may be easily misunderstood by some viewers.

Grammatical Forms of misunderstand

• past tense: misunderstood
• plural: misunderstands
• comparative: more misunderstood
• superlative: most misunderstood
• present tense: misunderstand
• future tense: will misunderstand
• perfect tense: have misunderstood
• continuous tense: is misunderstanding
• singular: misunderstand
• positive degree: misunderstand
• infinitive: to misunderstand
• gerund: misunderstanding
• participle: misunderstood

Origin and Evolution of misunderstand

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Old English

Story behind the word: The word 'misunderstand' originated from the combination of the prefix 'mis-' meaning 'wrongly' or 'badly' and the word 'understand' which comes from Old English 'understandan' meaning 'comprehend'.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'misunderstand' has retained its original meaning of not comprehending something correctly or wrongly interpreting information.