Word
wrongly
Phoneticswrong·ly, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈɹɔŋɫi/
UK/ɹˈɒŋli/
Adverb of manner
Definitions
01incorrectly or by mistake
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adv. in a way that is not correct or accurate.
adv. incorrectly or mistakenly; in a manner that deviates from fact or truth.
“The name was wrongly spelled on the official invitation.”
“Many observers wrongly assumed that the market would recover quickly, failing to account for the underlying structural weaknesses in the economy.”
Pitfall
I wrongly the answer.
I answered wrongly.
Wrongly is an adverb and must modify a verb, adjective, or another adverb; it cannot be used as a verb itself.
Synonyms
02unfairly or unjustly
B2 · Upper Intermediate Law Formal
adv. in an unfair or dishonest way, especially when someone is punished for something they did not do.
adv. in violation of justice, law, or moral standards; often used in legal contexts regarding false accusations.
“He spent ten years in prison after being wrongly convicted of the crime.”
“The journalist argued that the whistleblower had been wrongly accused of leaking sensitive data to the public.”
Real-World Examples
“Back in 2010, eight in ten people wrongly thought crime was increasing, exactly the same as today.” “A caption wrongly described Chris Cantrill’s comedy partner Amy Gledhill as his wife.” Etymology
From Middle English wrongly, wrongliche, equivalent to wrong + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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