Misconstruing

Misconstruing is the act of interpreting something, especially a word, action, or intent, incorrectly or in a way that misunderstands its true meaning. It involves forming an inaccurate perception or judgment based on a flawed understanding. This can stem from various factors, including insufficient information, personal biases, cultural differences, or a failure to grasp the context in which something was presented. The result of misconstruing is often a misjudgment, miscommunication, or an inappropriate response to the stimulus in question.

Misconstruing meaning with examples

• During the negotiation, the CEO was very precise with her words, but the other party ended up misconstruing her intentions as aggressive, leading to heightened tension and stalling of the negotiation. This misunderstanding cost them dearly.
• The detective team **misconstrued** the evidence at the crime scene, they assumed a certain item was the murder weapon, leading them down the wrong track for weeks. It eventually took an external team to look at it with a fresh pair of eyes.
• The social media post, intended as satire, was widely **misconstrued** by the public and quickly sparked outrage. People took the message way too seriously, leading to an avalanche of negative comments and backlash for the original poster.
• Due to her introverted nature, her silence during meetings was often **misconstrued** by her colleagues as a lack of engagement or disagreement, which caused a divide within the team. They often didn't ask for her opinion.
• Reading the email quickly, he **misconstrued** the sender's tone, believing it to be critical when it was merely informative. This caused him unnecessary stress and led to him making a defensive response which he later regretted.