wrong

[rawng, rong]

adjective

1. not in accordance with what is morally right or good.

   a wrong deed.

   Synonyms: crooked, reprehensible, iniquitous, immoral, sinful, wicked, evil, bad

2. deviating from truth or fact; erroneous.

   a wrong answer.

   Synonyms: mistaken, untrue, false, incorrect, inaccurate

3. not correct in action, judgment, opinion, method, etc., as a person; in error.

   You are wrong to blame him.

4. not proper or usual; not in accordance with requirements or recommended practice.

   the wrong way to hold a golf club.

5. out of order; awry; amiss.

   Something is wrong with the machine.

6. not suitable or appropriate.

   He always says the wrong thing.

   Synonyms: unsuitable, improper

7. (of clothing) that should be worn or kept inward or under.

   You're wearing the sweater wrong side out.

noun

1. that which is wrong, or not in accordance with morality, goodness, or truth; evil.

   I committed many wrongs.

   Synonyms: vice, sin, wickedness, immorality, misdeed

2. an injustice.

   The wrongs they suffered aged them.

3. Law.

   1. an invasion of another's right, to his damage.

   2. a tort.

adverb

1. in a wrong manner; not rightly; awry; amiss.

   You did it wrong again.

verb (used with object)

1. to do wrong to; treat unfairly or unjustly; harm.

   Synonyms: dishonor, defraud, cheat, oppress, abuse, maltreat

2. to impute evil to (someone) unjustly; malign.

wrong

/ rɒŋ /

adjective

1. not correct or truthful

   the wrong answer

2. acting or judging in error

   you are wrong to think that

3. (postpositive) immoral; bad

   it is wrong to cheat

4. deviating from or unacceptable to correct or conventional laws, usage, etc

5. not intended or wanted

   the wrong road

6. (postpositive) not working properly; amiss

   something is wrong with the engine

7. (of a side, esp of a fabric) intended to face the inside so as not to be seen

8. informal,  to come into disfavour with

9. (of food) to pass into the windpipe instead of the gullet

adverb

1. in the wrong direction or manner

2. 1. to turn out other than intended

   2. to make a mistake

   3. (of a machine, etc) to cease to function properly

   4. to go astray morally

3. 1. to fail to understand properly

   2. to fail to provide the correct answer to

noun

1. a bad, immoral, or unjust thing or action

2. law

   1. an infringement of another person's rights, rendering the offender liable to a civil action, as for breach of contract or tort

      a private wrong

   2. a violation of public rights and duties, affecting the community as a whole and actionable at the instance of the Crown

      a public wrong

3. mistaken or guilty

verb

1. to treat unjustly

2. to discredit, malign, or misrepresent

3. to seduce or violate

Other Word Forms

• wrongness noun
• wronger noun
• wrongly adverb
• quasi-wrong adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of wrong¹

First recorded before 1100; (adjective) Middle English wrong, wrang, Old English wrang, perhaps from Old Danish wrang; compare Danish vrang “wrong,” Old Norse rangr “awry”; (verb and adverb) Middle English, derivative of the adjective; (noun) Middle English; Old English wrang, derivative of adjective; akin to wring

Word History and Origins

Origin of wrong¹

Old English wrang injustice, from Old Norse vrang; see _wring

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. go wrong,

   1. to go amiss; fail.

      Everything is going wrong today.

   2. to pursue an immoral course; become depraved.

      Bad friends caused him to go wrong.

2. get in wrong, to cause to come into disfavor.

   We are forever getting in wrong with the people next door.

3. in the wrong, to blame; in error.

   He knew he was in the wrong but refused to concede the point.

see back the wrong horse; bark up the wrong tree; do someone wrong; get someone wrong; get up on the wrong side of bed; go wrong; in the wrong; on the right (wrong) foot; on the right (wrong) tack; right (wrong) side of the tracks; rub the wrong way; take the wrong way; two wrongs do not make a right.

Example Sentences

Was I wrong to have taken what he told me at face value?

From BBC

“This settlement sends a powerful message to AI companies and creators alike that taking copyrighted works from these pirate websites is wrong.”

From Los Angeles Times

Martin: Seems to be with some folks that Clarke can't do right, I for one was expecting a thrashing tonight but proved wrong, decent performance, good result.

From BBC

Get them wrong or do them too often and a government's progress can become jolty and piecemeal, and the backbench battalion of the disgruntled grows larger.

From BBC

While 1st Amendment experts said CBS News had done nothing wrong, parent company Paramount settled the case for $16 million to help clear the regulatory hurdles for its merger with Skydance Media.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• abuse 
• bias 
• blunder 
• crime 
• error 
• evil 
• grievance 
• harm 
• inequity 
• injustice 
• insult 
• misdeed 
• mistake 
• prejudice 
• slight 
• transgression 
• violation 
• wrongdoing