wrong

  • adjective 1 not correct or true; mistaken or in error. 2 unjust, dishonest, or immoral. 3 in a bad or abnormal condition; amiss.

  • adverb 1 in a mistaken or undesirable manner or direction. 2 with an incorrect result.

  • noun an unjust, dishonest, or immoral action.

  • verb 1 act unjustly or dishonestly towards. 2 mistakenly attribute bad motives to; misrepresent.

  — PHRASES get hold of the wrong end of the stick misunderstand something. get wrong misunderstand (someone). in the wrong responsible for a mistake or offence. on the wrong side of 1 out of favour with. 2 somewhat more than (a specified age). two wrongs don’t make a right proverb the fact that someone has done something unjust or dishonest is no justification for acting in a similar way.

  — DERIVATIVES wrongly adverb wrongness noun.

  — ORIGIN Old Norse, ‘awry, unjust’.

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