mistune
Set wrong frequency
To mistune is to tune incorrectly—to set an instrument, voice, or system to the wrong pitch or frequency.
A mistuned piano sounds off; a mistuned radio drifts between stations.
The word applies wherever calibration matters: The guitar was badly mistuned after the flight.
Lacking vertical variation
- sharpFine-edged, or astute
- pitchyMusically off-target
- detunedShifted from standard pitch
- sourSharp, biting taste
off-key · tone-deaf · warble · wobble · crack · clinker · false note · wavering
Lack of harmony
- cacophonyHarsh, clashing sounds
- disharmonyAbsence of agreement
- clashViolent disagreement or collision
- jangleDiscordant metallic ringing
jar · harshness · stridency · atonality · discordance · unmusical · raucousness · noise
Understand incorrectly
- misinterpretUnderstand something incorrectly
- misunderstandGrasp incorrectly
- misjudgeEvaluate incorrectly
- misapprehendGrasp incorrectly
misconceive · misperceive · misread · distortion · misreckoning · miscomprehend · misrepresentation
flat
Lacking vertical variation
sour · off-key · tone-deaf · warble · wobble · crack · clinker · false note · wavering · quaver
dissonance
Lack of harmony
- cacophonyHarsh, clashing sounds
- disharmonyAbsence of agreement
- clashViolent disagreement or collision
jangle · jar · harshness · stridency · atonality · discordance · unmusical · raucousness · noise · grating
misconstrue
Understand incorrectly
- misinterpretUnderstand something incorrectly
- misunderstandGrasp incorrectly
- misjudgeEvaluate incorrectly
misapprehend · misconceive · misperceive · misread · distortion · misreckoning · miscomprehend · misrepresentation
blunder
Foolish, costly mistake
botch · gaffe · flub · mishap · oversight · inaccuracy · miscue · bungle · misplay · faux pas