misread

Everyday

1. To misread means to read something wrongly. tree →
2. To misread a situation or a person means to understand them wrongly. tree →

In the lessons

In school, misreading a question is a common reason for losing marks: reading «add» as «subtract», or missing «not». Tip: read the question twice and underline key words. In everyday life people misread signs, maps or times, and in stories characters misread someone's feelings, causing problems. Phrases: «misread the question», «misread the instructions», «misread the situation».

Examples

• I misread the question and got it wrong. tree →
• He misread the clock and was late for school. tree →
• Read carefully so you don't misread the instructions. tree →
• She misread my silence as anger. tree →
• I misread «7» as «1» in the sum. tree →
• We misread the map and took the wrong path. tree →
• Don't misread the label on medicine. tree →
• The teacher thought I was rude, but she misread the situation. tree →

Note

Irregular like «read»: present «misread» (mis-REED), past «misread» (mis-RED). Built from mis- (wrongly) + read. In maths tests, misreading «less than» as «more than» flips the answer — always reread.