MISDIRECT

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does misdirect mean? 

• MISDIRECT (verb)
  The verb MISDIRECT has 3 senses:

1. corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality

2. lead someone in the wrong direction or give someone wrong directions

3. put a wrong address on

  Familiarity information: MISDIRECT used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MISDIRECT (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they misdirect    ... he / she / it misdirects   
Past simple: misdirected   
Past participle: misdirected   
-ing form: misdirecting   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

corrupt; debase; debauch; demoralise; demoralize; deprave; misdirect; pervert; profane; subvert; vitiate

Context example:

corrupt the morals

Hypernyms (to "misdirect" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "misdirect"):

carnalise; carnalize; sensualise; sensualize (debase through carnal gratification)

infect (corrupt with ideas or an ideology)

lead astray; lead off (teach immoral behavior to)

poison (spoil as if by poison)

bastardise; bastardize (change something so that its value declines; for example, art forms)

suborn (incite to commit a crime or an evil deed)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sense 2

Meaning:

Lead someone in the wrong direction or give someone wrong directions

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

lead astray; misdirect; misguide; mislead

Context example:

The pedestrian misdirected the out-of-town driver

Hypernyms (to "misdirect" is one way to...):

conduct; direct; guide; lead; take (take somebody somewhere)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

misdirection (incorrect directions or instructions)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Put a wrong address on

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

misaddress; misdirect

Context example:

misdirect the letter

Hypernyms (to "misdirect" is one way to...):

address; direct (put an address on (an envelope))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

 Context examples 

If misdirected these cells may become hyperplastic, adenomatous, or malignant.

(APUD Cell, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

“I fancy that you have been misdirected. Possibly if you tried farther down the street—”

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

In fact, the normal function of the immune cells becomes misdirected.

(When Liver Immune Cells Turn Bad, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

With further development, this approach could potentially be used for any autoimmune disease caused by misdirected antibodies.

(Approach targets autoimmunity, NIH)

All the understanding that I had now of his misdirected energy, became an understanding of her character too, and a perception that it was, in its strongest springs, the same.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

An instant later the explosion occurred, though Hudson thought it was caused by the misdirected bullet of one of the convicts rather than the mate’s match.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Do you think I don't know, said my aunt, turning a deaf ear to the sister, and continuing to address the brother, and to shake her head at him with infinite expression, what kind of life you must have led that poor, unhappy, misdirected baby?

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)