ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary BuilderWordsMmisconstrue
ISEE/SSAThard
misconstrue
Meaning: to misunderstand or interpret incorrectly
misconstrue in a sentence
How misconstrue is used in real sentences:
Reporters misconstrued the senator's joke as a serious policy proposal.
Because the coach's blunt feedback lacked explanation, several players misconstrued his criticism as a sign he wanted them off the team.
“Mira worried he would misconstrue the substitution as carelessness, but she showed him the inventory sheet and Mr.”
— from the passage Before Sunrise
Synonyms for misconstrue
Other words for misconstrue — misinterpret, misjudge and misread — carry the same meaning.
- misinterpret
- misjudge
- misread
Antonyms of misconstrue
Words that mean the opposite of misconstrue:
- understand
- comprehend
- grasp
Where it comes from
From Latin mis- 'wrongly' plus construere 'to construct'
Word parts
- mis — wrong
misconstrue: mis- (wrong) + construe (interpret)
Memory hook
MIS (wrongly) + CONSTRUE (interpret) — to misconstrue is to interpret wrongly.
Practice misconstrue in the app