misunderstand to think that someone means one thing, when in fact they mean something elseI think you’ve misunderstood what I’m saying.
Some companies appear to have misunderstood the new rules.
Don’t misunderstand me - I have nothing against these people.
get somebody/something wrong especially spoken to misunderstand someone or something – used especially in everyday spoken EnglishLooks like you’ve got it all wrong.
You’ve got me all wrong - that’s not what I meant.
Tell me if I’ve got it wrong.
mistake to misunderstand someone’s intentions, and react in the wrong wayHe was a very private man, and some people mistook this for unfriendliness.
I thought she wanted us to leave her alone, but I may been mistaken.
misread/misjudge to wrongly believe that someone’s actions show that they have a particular opinion or feeling, or that a situation means that you should behave in particular wayThe party completely misread the mood of the voters at the last election.
Eddie wondered if he should be scared, too. Maybe he had misjudged the situation.
misinterpret to not understand the true meaning of someone’s actions or words, so that you believe something that is not in fact trueA lot of people misinterpreted what I was saying, and have called me a racist.
Struggling with an unfamiliar language, the simplest conversations were misinterpreted.
misconstrue formal to misunderstand something that someone has said or doneShe claimed that members of the press had misconstrued her comments.
miss the point to not understand the main part or meaning of what someone is saying or what something is intended to doI think you’re missing the whole point of the film.
If he thinks it’s all about how much profit he can make, then he’s missing the point.
get the wrong end of the stick British EnglishBrE informal to make a mistake about one part of something that you are told, so that you understand the rest of it in completely the wrong wayMaybe I got the wrong end of the stick. I thought she was leaving him, not the other way round.