NSW Selective & Scholarship
Misconstrue
verb/mis-kuhn-STROO/
To understand something wrongly or take it to mean the wrong thing.
In contextHe misconstrued her joke and thought she was being unkind.
Remember it
'Mis' (wrongly) + 'construe' (interpret) = to interpret something the wrong way.
Use it well
Use when a message or action is taken the wrong way; often about words or intentions.