1. understanding or explaining something incorrectly or inaccurately
Usage: present participle of 'misinterpret'; common in academic and professional contexts

Examples

• She was misinterpreting his silence as anger when he was actually just tired.
• The student was misinterpreting the poem's meaning by taking it too literally.
• He accused me of misinterpreting his words, but I quoted him directly.
• Without context, it's easy to end up misinterpreting someone's tone in a text message.
• The lawyer argued that the jury was misinterpreting the evidence presented.
• By misinterpreting the instructions, the team wasted hours on the wrong approach.
• She kept misinterpreting his jokes as serious comments.