misjudge

Everyday

1. To misjudge something is to guess wrongly about it, like an amount, a distance or a time. tree →
2. To misjudge a person is to form a wrong or unfair opinion about them. tree →

In the lessons

In safety lessons, people misjudge the speed of cars when crossing the road, or the depth of water before jumping in. In sport, a player may misjudge a ball. In stories, a character misjudges someone and later learns they were kind. Phrases: "misjudge the distance", "misjudge the situation".

Examples

• I misjudged the jump and landed in the puddle. tree →
• Drivers can misjudge how fast a bike is going. tree →
• Never misjudge how deep the water is; check first. tree →
• I misjudged her; she is actually very kind. tree →
• He misjudged the time and missed the bus. tree →
• The goalkeeper misjudged the ball. tree →
• As long as I live I shall never forget the wrong I have done you in so misjudging you, and in causing your father to suspect you. tree →

Note

Regular: misjudged, misjudging (drop the e). Noun: misjudgement (British) or misjudgment (American). The prefix "mis-" means wrongly.