misguided

adjective

mis·​guid·​ed (ˌ)mis-ˈgī-dəd How to pronounce misguided (audio)
Synonyms of misguidednext
: led or prompted by wrong or inappropriate motives or ideals
well-meaning but misguided do-gooders
misguidedly
(ˌ)mis-ˈgī-dəd-lē How to pronounce misguided (audio)
adverb
misguidedness
(ˌ)mis-ˈgī-dəd-nəs How to pronounce misguided (audio)
noun

Examples of misguided in a Sentence

She's been getting a lot of bad advice from misguided friends. He blames the crisis on the government's misguided economic policies. a misguided attempt to help
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The marketing image of Mitchell’s kindergarten-age daughter wearing one of the clear hydrogel sheet masks didn’t help, reading like a misguided attempt to attract attention in crowded social feeds. — Fiorella Valdesolo, Allure, 9 July 2026 Your assumption of my competence, while gracious, would be terribly misguided. — Literary Hub, 6 July 2026 In 2023, the New Mexico Supreme Court struck down this misguided rule, thereby restoring the public’s stream-access rights enshrined in the state constitution. — Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 1 July 2026 Return on investment may be the most misguided reason to buy art. — Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for misguided

Word History

First Known Use

1500, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of misguided was in 1500

Rhymes for misguided

See All Rhymes for misguided

Browse Nearby Words

misguide
misguided
mishandle
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Misguided.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misguided. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on misguided

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for misguided

Nglish: Translation of misguided for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of yaw

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All