misguided
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of misguided
Explanation
A misguided decision is one that's made without good judgment and careful thought. It would be misguided to think you could write your entire term paper in one night, or to climb into the polar bear exhibit at the zoo for a better look at them. Misguided is a polite way to say "a really dumb decision or belief." Your choice to go swimming in the ocean during a hurricane would definitely be considered misguided, and so would your decision to join the mountain climbing team if you are afraid of heights. Both are examples of unwise choices made after not enough deliberation. Misguided uses the prefix mis-, "bad or wrong," and guided, or "directed."
Vocabulary lists containing misguided
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: mis-
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"Should Communities Set Teen Curfews?" and "Curfews: A National Debate"
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mis-
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I firmly believe that kind of dismissive contempt is misguided.
From Salon • Jun. 8, 2026
Well over a century of misguided land management and development practices have left the state increasingly vulnerable to frequent and severe fire that risks destroying communities and ecosystems.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
And Friedrich Hayek suggested that recessions occur regularly, as maladjustments build up from misguided interest-rate policies.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
She said it was accepted that what had started in 2019 as a "misguided wish" on the part of the defendant to help friends and family then "snowballed" into something far larger.
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026
I hope she's able to enjoy it because as misguided as Effie can be, she has a very keen instinct about certain things and must at least suspect we're in trouble.
From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
