misunderstood

[ mis-uhn-der-stood ]
See synonyms for misunderstood on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. improperly understood or interpreted.

  2. not appreciated.

Origin of misunderstood

1
First recorded in 1585–95; mis-1 + understood

Other words from misunderstood

  • half-mis·un·der·stood, adjective
  • un·mis·un·der·stood, adjective

Words Nearby misunderstood

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use misunderstood in a sentence

  • But what blame to her if she misunderstood the question, if she read in it the very words her heart was longing to hear from him?

    St. Martin's Summer | Rafael Sabatini
  • Woman is a saintly and noble creature, but almost always misunderstood, and nearly always misjudged because she is misunderstood.

    Juana | Honore de Balzac
  • Unless this double mainspring is known, the conduct of Catherine de' Medici will remain forever misunderstood.

    Catherine de' Medici | Honore de Balzac
  • The following can hardly be understood at all, but in its original condition it is so clear that it cannot be misunderstood.

    English: Composition and Literature | W. F. (William Franklin) Webster
  • His pleading eye was too obvious to be misunderstood, and by questioning the child, the whole was soon explained.

    Minnie's Pet Dog | Madeline Leslie

British Dictionary definitions for misunderstood

misunderstood

/ (ˌmɪsʌndəˈstʊd) /


adjective
  1. not properly or sympathetically understood: a misunderstood work of art; a misunderstood adolescent

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012