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
To ignore these structural forces, Wilson suggests, is to misdiagnose the problem—and to risk prescribing the wrong solutions.
—Idrees Kahloon, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
Each year in the United States, 7.4 million people are misdiagnosed in emergency rooms, causing death or permanent disability in 1 in 350 patients, according to a 2023 study from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
—Alexis Kayser, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
The guidance comes in the wake of a lawsuit against a Massachusetts center that misdiagnosed an ectopic pregnancy.
—Abigail Brooks, NBC news, 23 June 2025
Given the disease's rarity, it is often misdiagnosed initially as epilepsy or eye disease.
—Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for misdiagnose
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Idrees Kahloon, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
Each year in the United States, 7.4 million people are misdiagnosed in emergency rooms, causing death or permanent disability in 1 in 350 patients, according to a 2023 study from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
—Alexis Kayser, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
The guidance comes in the wake of a lawsuit against a Massachusetts center that misdiagnosed an ectopic pregnancy.
—Abigail Brooks, NBC news, 23 June 2025
Given the disease's rarity, it is often misdiagnosed initially as epilepsy or eye disease.
—Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for misdiagnose
Cite this Entry
“Misdiagnose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misdiagnose. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
misdiagnose
transitive verb
mis·di·ag·nose
(ˈ)mis-ˈdī-ig-ˌnōs, -ˌnōz
misdiagnosed; misdiagnosing
: to diagnose incorrectly
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