English Dictionary

WRONG

Pronunciation (US): Play  (GB): Play

IPA (US): 

 Dictionary entry overview: What does wrong mean? 

WRONG (noun)
  The noun WRONG has 2 senses:

1. that which is contrary to the principles of justice or lawplay

2. any harm or injury resulting from a violation of a legal rightplay

  Familiarity information: WRONG used as a noun is rare.


WRONG (adjective)
  The adjective WRONG has 9 senses:

1. not correct; not in conformity with fact or truthplay

2. contrary to conscience or morality or lawplay

3. not appropriate for a purpose or occasionplay

4. not functioning properlyplay

5. based on or acting or judging in errorplay

6. not in accord with established usage or procedureplay

7. used of the side of cloth or clothing intended to face inwardplay

8. badly timedplay

9. characterized by errors; not agreeing with a model or not following established rulesplay

  Familiarity information: WRONG used as an adjective is familiar.


WRONG (verb)
  The verb WRONG has 1 sense:

1. treat unjustly; do wrong toplay

  Familiarity information: WRONG used as a verb is very rare.


WRONG (adverb)
  The adverb WRONG has 1 sense:

1. in an inaccurate mannerplay

  Familiarity information: WRONG used as an adverb is very rare.


 Dictionary entry details 


WRONG (noun)


Sense 1

Meaning:

That which is contrary to the principles of justice or law

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

wrong; wrongfulness

Context example:

he feels that you are in the wrong

Hypernyms ("wrong" is a kind of...):

injustice; unjustness (the practice of being unjust or unfair)

Antonym:

right (anything in accord with principles of justice)

Derivation:

wrong (treat unjustly; do wrong to)

wrong (contrary to conscience or morality or law)


Sense 2

Meaning:

Any harm or injury resulting from a violation of a legal right

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

damage; legal injury; wrong

Hypernyms ("wrong" is a kind of...):

injury (wrongdoing that violates another's rights and is unjustly inflicted)

Derivation:

wrong (contrary to conscience or morality or law)

wrong (treat unjustly; do wrong to)


WRONG (adjective)

 Declension: comparative and superlative 
Comparative: worse  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation
Superlative: worst  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation


Sense 1

Meaning:

Not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth

Synonyms:

incorrect; wrong

Context example:

based on the wrong assumptions

Similar:

erroneous (containing or characterized by error)

fallacious (based on an incorrect or misleading notion or information)

false; mistaken (arising from error)

Also:

inaccurate (not accurate)

improper (not suitable or right or appropriate)

false (not in accordance with the fact or reality or actuality)

Attribute:

correctness; rightness (conformity to fact or truth)

Antonym:

right (free from error; especially conforming to fact or truth)

Derivation:

wrongness (the quality of not conforming to fact or truth)


Sense 2

Meaning:

Contrary to conscience or morality or law

Context example:

it is wrong to lie

Similar:

condemnable; criminal; deplorable; reprehensible; vicious (bringing or deserving severe rebuke or censure)

base; immoral (not adhering to ethical or moral principles)

misguided; mistaken (wrong in e.g. opinion or judgment)

Also:

unethical (not conforming to approved standards of social or professional behavior)

evil (morally bad or wrong)

unjust (violating principles of justice)

immoral (deliberately violating accepted principles of right and wrong)

improper (not suitable or right or appropriate)

wicked (morally bad in principle or practice)

Attribute:

rightness (according with conscience or morality)

Antonym:

right (in conformance with justice or law or morality)

Derivation:

wrong (any harm or injury resulting from a violation of a legal right)

wrong (that which is contrary to the principles of justice or law)

wrongness (contrary to conscience or morality)


Sense 3

Meaning:

Not appropriate for a purpose or occasion

Synonyms:

improper; wrong

Context example:

said all the wrong things

Similar:

inappropriate (not suitable for a particular occasion etc)

Derivation:

wrongness (inappropriate conduct)


Sense 4

Meaning:

Not functioning properly

Synonyms:

amiss; awry; haywire; wrong

Context example:

something is wrong with the engine

Similar:

malfunctioning; nonfunctional (not performing or able to perform its regular function)


Sense 5

Meaning:

Based on or acting or judging in error

Context example:

it is wrong to think that way

Similar:

wrongheaded (obstinately perverse in judgment or opinion)

Antonym:

right (correct in opinion or judgment)

Derivation:

wrongness (the quality of not conforming to fact or truth)


Sense 6

Meaning:

Not in accord with established usage or procedure

Synonyms:

incorrect; wrong

Context example:

it is incorrect for a policeman to accept gifts

Similar:

improper (not suitable or right or appropriate)


Sense 7

Meaning:

Used of the side of cloth or clothing intended to face inward

Context example:

socks worn wrong side out

Similar:

inside (relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space)


Sense 8

Meaning:

Badly timed

Synonyms:

ill-timed; unseasonable; untimely; wrong

Context example:

it was the wrong moment for a joke

Similar:

inopportune (not opportune)


Sense 9

Meaning:

Characterized by errors; not agreeing with a model or not following established rules

Synonyms:

faulty; incorrect; wrong

Context example:

the wrong side of the road

Similar:

inaccurate (not accurate)


WRONG (verb)

 Conjugation: 
Present simple: I / you / we / they wrong  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation ... he / she / it wrongs  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation
Past simple: wronged  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation
Past participle: wronged  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation
-ing form: wronging  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation


Sense 1

Meaning:

Treat unjustly; do wrong to

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

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

do by; handle; treat (interact in a certain way)

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

aggrieve (infringe on the rights of)

sandbag (treat harshly or unfairly)

victimise; victimize (make a victim of)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Antonym:

right (make reparations or amends for)

Derivation:

wrong (any harm or injury resulting from a violation of a legal right)

wrong (that which is contrary to the principles of justice or law)


WRONG (adverb)


Sense 1

Meaning:

In an inaccurate manner

Synonyms:

incorrectly; wrong; wrongly

Context example:

she guessed wrong


 Context examples 


Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI) History; are your symptoms worse at night?

(MNSI - Symptoms Worse at Night, NCI Thesaurus)

A question about an individual's mouth or throat sores at its worst.

(Mouth or Throat Sores at its Worst, NCI Thesaurus)

Doubtless it was so, and she could take no revenge, for he was not altered, or not for the worse.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) What kinds of things make your pain feel worse?

(BPI - Things that Make your Pain Worse, NCI Thesaurus)

A question about an individual's mucus in mouth or throat at its worst.

(Mucus in Mouth and Throat at its Worst, NCI Thesaurus)

You are too good, I am sure, to think the worse of me for the part I am obliged to perform.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

Sometimes before giving treatment, doctors wait to see whether symptoms get worse.

(Neuroblastoma, NIH: National Cancer Institute)

A question about an individual's nausea at its worst.

(Nausea at its Worst, NCI Thesaurus)

"They are, indeed," said the Scarecrow, "and I am thankful I am made of straw and cannot be easily damaged. There are worse things in the world than being a Scarecrow."

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

I'm thinking that Blundell got him at the wrong moment, maybe, or in the wrong fashion.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)



 Learn English with... Proverbs 
"No pain, no injury." (English proverb)

"The more you mow the lawn, the faster the grass grows." (Albanian proverb)

"If you wish, ask for more." (Arabic proverb)

"The innkeeper trusts his guests like he is himself" (Dutch proverb)



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