misinterpret

/ˌˈmɪsɪnˌtʌrprət/

/mɪsɪnˈtʌprɪt/

Other forms: misinterpreted; misinterpreting; misinterprets

When you misinterpret something, you get it wrong. If you misinterpret another driver's wave as a friendly hello, you're probably missing the fact that he's trying to tell you one of your headlights has blown.

Misinterpreting can be fun or embarrassing on a personal level––you can, say, misinterpret a boy's interest in your friend, and think he want to go out with you. But it can be devastating on an international level. During the Cold War, the US and the USSR had to be very careful about sending signals about nuclear readiness––the cost of misinterpreting could be a nuclear war.

Definitions of misinterpret

1. verb

   interpret wrongly
   synonyms: misread

   type of:

   read, take

   interpret something in a certain way; convey a particular meaning or impression
2. verb

   interpret in the wrong way
   “Don't misinterpret my comments as criticism”

   synonyms: be amiss, misapprehend, misconceive, misconstrue, misunderstand

   type of:

   construe, interpret, see

   make sense of; assign a meaning to
3. verb

   interpret falsely
   type of:

   interpret, rede

   give an interpretation or explanation to