misdiagnose
verb
mis·di·ag·nose
ˌmis-ˈdī-ig-ˌnōs 
-ˌnōz,
ˌdī-ig-ˈnōs,
-ˈnōz,
-əg-
misdiagnosed; misdiagnosing
: to diagnose (someone or something) incorrectly
… babesiosis is often missed or misdiagnosed as malaria or flu.—
Linda Marsa
Linda MarsaThe researchers added that children with this disease are often misdiagnosed and thus inappropriately treated …—Jane E. Brody
Jane E. BrodyExamples of misdiagnose in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
On top of that, societal expectations may force women to mask their symptoms more and thus be misdiagnosed with other things such as anxiety or depression.
—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2026
Lyme can be difficult to diagnose and to treat and is often misdiagnosed at first.
—
Bram Sable-Smith,
NPR,
27 June 2026
However, when Sophie was 5, her condition was misdiagnosed as conjunctivitis.
—
Lexi Lane,
PEOPLE,
14 June 2026
Being that rare means the condition can often be overlooked or misdiagnosed, which means many are only found at later stages.
—
Lianne Kolirin,
CNN Money,
10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for misdiagnose
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2026
Lyme can be difficult to diagnose and to treat and is often misdiagnosed at first.
—
Bram Sable-Smith,
NPR,
27 June 2026
However, when Sophie was 5, her condition was misdiagnosed as conjunctivitis.
—
Lexi Lane,
PEOPLE,
14 June 2026
Being that rare means the condition can often be overlooked or misdiagnosed, which means many are only found at later stages.
—
Lianne Kolirin,
CNN Money,
10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for misdiagnose
Cite this Entry
“Misdiagnose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misdiagnose. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
misdiagnose
transitive verb
mis·di·ag·nose
(ˈ)mis-ˈdī-ig-ˌnōs, -ˌnōz
misdiagnosed; misdiagnosing
: to diagnose incorrectly
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
