Word
misunderstand
Phoneticsmis·un·der·stand
US/ˌmɪsəndɝˈstænd/
UK/mɪsˌʌndəstˈænd/
Forms
Infinitive
misunderstand
Past
misunderstood
Past participle
misunderstood
Definition
v. to fail to understand something correctly. You use this when you get the wrong idea about what someone said or did.
v. to fail to interpret or perceive a meaning correctly; to form a mistaken conception of a statement or action.
Examples
“I am sorry, I think I misunderstand your question.”
“It is easy to misunderstand someone's tone of voice when you are communicating only through text messages.”
“The diplomat warned that if the opposing side were to misunderstand the terms of the treaty, it could lead to a total breakdown in negotiations.”
Examples
simple
“I am sorry, I think I misunderstand your question.”
contextual
“It is easy to misunderstand someone's tone of voice when you are communicating only through text messages.”
complex
“The diplomat warned that if the opposing side were to misunderstand the terms of the treaty, it could lead to a total breakdown in negotiations.”
Usage
The verb is transitive and takes a direct object.
Pitfall
I am misunderstand you
I misunderstand you
Learners often treat 'misunderstand' as an adjective with 'be' instead of using it as a main verb.
Etymology
From Middle English mys-understanden, equivalent to mis- + understand.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/misunderstand