misunderstands
|mis-un-der-stands|
B2
🇺🇸
/ˌmɪsʌndərˈstændz/
🇬🇧
/ˌmɪsʌndəˈstændz/
(misunderstand)
failure to understand
Etymology
Etymology Information
'misunderstand' originates from Middle English, specifically the prefix 'mis-' meaning 'wrongly' and the verb 'understand' meaning 'to grasp the meaning of something'.
Historical Evolution
'misunderstand' changed from the Middle English word 'misunderstanden' and eventually became the modern English word 'misunderstand'.
Meaning Changes
Initially, it meant 'to wrongly grasp the meaning of something', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
to fail to understand something correctly.
She often misunderstands his intentions.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/01/11 11:41