Wrong

Pronunciation

• RP IPA: /ɹɒŋ/
• US IPA: /ɹɔŋ/, /ɹɑŋ/
• Rhymes: -É’Å‹

Origin

From Middle English wrong, from Old English wrang ("wrong, twisted, uneven"), from Old Norse rangr, *wrangr ("crooked, wrong"), from Proto-Germanic *wrangaz ("crooked, twisted, turned awry"), from Proto-Indo-European *werḱ-, *werǵ-, *wrengʰ- ("to twist, weave, tie together"), from Proto-Indo-European *wer- ("to turn, bend"). Cognate with Scots wrang ("wrong"), Danish vrang ("wrong, crooked"), Swedish vrång ("perverse, distorted"), Icelandic rangur ("wrong"), Dutch wrang ("bitter, sour") and the name of the mythic Old Frisian city of Rungholt ("crooked wood"). More at wring.

Adjective

1. Incorrect or untrue.Some of your answers were correct, and some were wrong.
• 1592, William Shakespeare, Richard III, Act II, Scene I:Among this princely heap, if any here
  By false intelligence or wrong surmise
  Hold me a foe ...
2. Asserting something incorrect or untrue.You're wrong: he's not Superman at all.
3. Immoral, not good, bad.It is wrong to lie.
4. Improper; unfit; unsuitable.A bikini is the wrong thing to wear on a cold day.
5. Not working; out of order.Something is wrong with my cellphone.Don't cry, honey. Tell me what's wrong.
6. Designed to be worn or placed inward; as, the wrong side of a garment or of a piece of cloth.
7. (obsolete) Twisted; wry.a wrong nose

Usage notes

The single-word comparative and superlative forms wronger and wrongest are no longer in common use, except humorously; rather, the locutions “more wrong” and “most wrong” are preferred.

When wrong is used attributively, before a noun, the noun is usually treated as definite, using the article the; hence, for example, one says, “I dialed the wrong number”, “he gave the wrong answer”, and “she took the wrong approach”, even though there are many possible wrong numbers, answers, and approaches, of which only one was dialed, given, or taken.

Synonyms

• injurious
• unjust
• faulty
• detrimental
• unfit
• unsuitable

Derived terms

• wrength
• wrongly
• wrongful

Antonyms

• right

Full definition of wrong

Adverb

1. (informal) In a way that isn't right; done incorrectly; wrongly.I spelled several names wrong in my address book.

Noun

1. Something that is immoral or not good.Injustice is a heinous wrong.
2. An instance of wronging someone (sometimes with possessive to indicate the wrongdoer).
• unknown date John Dowland:Can she excuse my wrongs with Virtue's cloak? Shall I call her good when she proves unkind?
3. The incorrect or unjust position or opinion.
• 1592, Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part III, Act IV, Scene I, line 101. — I blame not her: she could say little less; She had the wrong.
4. The opposite of right; the concept of badness.
• 1607, Shakespeare, Timon of Athens, Act IV, Scene III, line 28. — Thus much of this will make Black white, foul fair, wrong right, Base noble, old young, coward valiant.

Synonyms

• wrength

Verb

1. To treat unjustly; to injure or harm.
• The dealer wronged us by selling us this lemon of a car.
• 1591, Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part I, Act II, Scene IV, line 109. — Thou dost then wrong me, as that slaughterer doth Which giveth many wounds when one will kill.
2. To deprive of some right, or to withhold some act of justice.
• 1597, Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part II, Act IV, Scene I, line 121. — ... And might by no suit gain our audience. When we are wrong'd and would unfold our griefs, We are denied access unto his person Even by those men that most have done us wrong.
3. To slander; to impute evil to unjustly.
• 1598, Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Act III, Scene II, line 121. — O masters! if I were dispos'd to stir Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage, I should do Brutus wrong, and Cassius wrong, Who (you all know) are honorable men. I will not do them wrong; I rather choose To wrong the dead, to wrong myself and you, Than I will wrong such honorable men.

Derived terms

Anagrams

• grown