What does "wrong" mean?
Something that is immoral or not good.
Wrong
/ˈɹɒŋ/ adj, adv, noun, verb, slang
adj, adv, noun, verb, slang ·Top 500 ·Elementary level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Something that is immoral or not good.
- Grammar: wrong is listed as adj, adv, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: abandoned, aberrancy, aberrant, aberration.
- Useful contrasts: right, accurate information, accurate model.
- Usage evidence: The war on Iraq is a volatile subject of political debate; any wrong word and a heated argument could spark.
How to use "wrong"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "wrong" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "wrong" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "wrong" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "wrong" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "wrong" is acting as adj, adv, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abandoned" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "wrong", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Something that is immoral or not good.
"Injustice is a heinous wrong."
- 2 any harm or injury resulting from a violation of a legal right wordnet
- 3 An instance of wronging someone (sometimes with possessive to indicate the wrongdoer).
"Can she excuse my wrongs with Virtue's cloak? Shall I call her good when she proves unkind?"
- 4 that which is contrary to the principles of justice or law wordnet
- 5 The incorrect or unjust position or opinion.
"I blame not her: she could say little less; She had the wrong."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 The opposite of right; the concept of badness.
"Thus much of this will make Black white, foul fair, wrong right, Base noble, old young, coward valiant."
Verb
- 1 To treat unjustly; to injure or harm; to do wrong by.
"The dealer wronged us by selling us this lemon of a car."
- 2 treat unjustly; do wrong to wordnet
- 3 To deprive of some right, or to withhold some act of justice.
"... 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."
- 4 To slander; to impute evil to unjustly.
"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."
Adjective
- 1 Incorrect or untrue.
"Some of your answers were correct, and some were wrong."
- 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."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 Designed to be worn or placed inward
"the wrong side of a garment or of a piece of cloth"
- 7 Twisted; wry.
"a wrong nose"
Adjective
- 1 characterized by errors; not agreeing with a model or not following established rules wordnet
- 2 not appropriate for a purpose or occasion wordnet
- 3 not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth wordnet
- 4 based on or acting or judging in error wordnet
- 5 not functioning properly wordnet
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 badly timed wordnet
- 7 used of the side of cloth or clothing intended to face inward wordnet
- 8 not in accord with established usage or procedure wordnet
- 9 contrary to conscience or morality or law wordnet
Adverb
- 1 In a way that isn't right; incorrectly, wrongly. informal
"I spelled several names wrong in my address book."
Adverb
- 1 in an incorrect manner wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"The war on Iraq is a volatile subject of political debate; any wrong word and a heated argument could spark."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "wrong"?
Common synonyms include: abandoned, aberrancy, aberrant, aberration, abnormal, abnormality.
How do you use "wrong" in a sentence?
The war on Iraq is a volatile subject of political debate; any wrong word and a heated argument could spark.
How do you pronounce "wrong"?
Pronounced /ˈɹɒŋ/.
Etymology
From Middle English wrong, from Old English wrang (“wrong, twisted, uneven”), from Old Norse rangr, vrangr (“crooked, wrong”), from Proto-Germanic *wrangaz (“crooked, twisted, turned awry”), from Proto-Indo-European *werḱ-, *wrengʰ- (“to twist, weave, tie together”), from *wer- (“to turn, bend”). Cognate with Scots wrang (“wrong”), Danish vrang (“wrong, crooked”), Swedish vrång (“perverse, distorted”), Icelandic rangur (“wrong”), Norwegian Nynorsk rang (“wrong”), Dutch wrang (“bitter, sour”) and the first element in the mythic Old Frisian city of Rungholt (“crooked wood”). More at wring.