# mistook

/mɪˈstʊk/ (US) · /mɪstˈʊk/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/mistook
Updated: 2026-05-09

## Definition

the past tense of 'mistake'. It means you identified someone or something incorrectly or understood a situation the wrong way.

For teachers: the past tense of 'mistake'. Refers to the act of incorrectly identifying a person or thing, or misinterpreting a situation or statement.

## Examples

- I mistook him for his brother because they look so similar.
- She mistook my silence for anger, though I was actually just tired from the long journey.
- The witness mistook the shadow of a passing car for a person entering the building, which complicated the initial police investigation.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I mistooked the time" but "I mistook the time" — Mistook is already the past tense form of the irregular verb 'mistake'; do not add '-ed'.

## Usage notes

- The verb is transitive and often used with the preposition 'for' when identifying one thing as another.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.