misconceive
Get it wrong
To misconceive is to form a wrong idea or understanding of something: He had misconceived the nature of their relationship.
The word suggests a fundamental misunderstanding rather than a minor error—not just getting details wrong but grasping the whole thing incorrectly.
The noun misconception is far more common than the verb.
Understand something incorrectly
- misapprehendGrasp incorrectly
- misconstrueUnderstand incorrectly
- misreadInterpret text incorrectly
- misperceiveUnderstand incorrectly through senses
mistake · miscomprehend · confuse · misjudge · misreckon · distort · err · garble
Error in reasoning
- delusionStubbornly held false belief
- mythTraditional explanatory tale
- misbeliefFalse notion held true
- false impressionErroneous understanding of reality
wrong idea · mistaken belief · misapprehension · illusion · fantasy · misperception · preconception · superstition
Unfair inclination or prejudice
- prejudicePreformed unfavorable opinion
- stereotypeFixed oversimplified notion
- assumptionUnverified belief accepted as true
- preconceptionBelief formed beforehand
presupposition · hasty conclusion · snap judgment · presumption · overgeneralization · bigotry · narrow-mindedness · predisposition
misinterpret
Understand something incorrectly
- misapprehendGrasp incorrectly
- misconstrueUnderstand incorrectly
- misreadInterpret text incorrectly
misperceive · mistake · miscomprehend · confuse · misjudge · misreckon · distort · err · garble · mishear
fallacy
Error in reasoning
false impression · wrong idea · mistaken belief · misapprehension · illusion · fantasy · misperception · preconception · superstition
bias
Unfair inclination or prejudice
- prejudicePreformed unfavorable opinion
- stereotypeFixed oversimplified notion
- assumptionUnverified belief accepted as true
preconception · presupposition · hasty conclusion · snap judgment · presumption · overgeneralization · bigotry · narrow-mindedness · predisposition · closed-mindedness
- misunderstandingmisunderstand, misinterpret, miscommunication, misconstrue, misread