wrong 1 of 4

adjective

Definition of wrongnext
1
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard there is something wrong with this cake—it has a funny taste

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2
as in incorrect
having an opinion that does not agree with truth or the facts I'm sorry, but the latest research proves you wrong

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3
as in inappropriate
not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation has a knack for saying just the wrong thing

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4
as in erroneous
not being in agreement with what is true her answer that Thomas Jefferson was the second president of the United States is wrong—it was John Adams, of course

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5
as in immoral
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable was caught doing something wrong

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

wrong

2 of 4

noun

ˈrȯŋ How to pronounce wrong (audio)
1
as in bad
that which is morally unacceptable any reasonable person should be expected to know the difference between right and wrong

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2
as in injustice
unfair or inadequate treatment of someone or something or an instance of this trying to right all the wrongs in the world

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wrong

3 of 4

adverb

as in badly
off the desired or intended path or course all of our carefully laid plans have gone wrong

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wrong

4 of 4

verb

as in to harm

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How does the noun wrong contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of wrong are grievance, injury, and injustice. While all these words mean "an act that inflicts undeserved hurt," wrong applies also in law to any act punishable according to the criminal code; it may apply more generally to any flagrant injustice.

determined to right society's wrongs

When might grievance be a better fit than wrong?

The words grievance and wrong are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, grievance applies to a circumstance or condition that constitutes an injustice to the sufferer and gives just ground for complaint.

a list of employee grievances

In what contexts can injury take the place of wrong?

Although the words injury and wrong have much in common, injury applies in law specifically to an injustice for which one may sue to recover compensation.

libel constitutes a legal injury

Where would injustice be a reasonable alternative to wrong?

The synonyms injustice and wrong are sometimes interchangeable, but injustice applies to any act that involves unfairness to another or violation of one's rights.

the injustices suffered by the lower classes

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of wrong
Adjective
People who missed the Fever's explanation were getting the wrong account of what happened. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026 If something on your I-94 looks wrong, don’t panic—but don’t ignore it either. — Bailey Berg, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
Noun
With quarterback Cooper Rush set to start his second straight game, the Falcons are looking to right some of the wrongs from the Pittsburgh matchup, where Rush was dealing with back issues and struggled to get the offense going. — AJC.com, 20 Sep. 2026 Prosecutors argued that Clancy knew right from wrong and was criminally responsible for the killings. — ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026
Adverb
The north Londoners took the lead in the first half through £100million ($134m) summer signing Sandro Tonali, whose effort from outside the box deflected off Chelsea defender Levi Colwill and wrong-footed goalkeeper Teddy Sharman-Lowe. — Elias Burke, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026 One error was a forecast that proved wrong; the other was a refusal to act on evidence already in view. — Michael Sonnenfeldt, Fortune, 19 July 2026
Verb
This wasn’t an opportunity to defame someone or make this about how I’d been wronged. — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2026 Trump accidentally made the case that when the government’s policies cause harm, reparations should be paid by the government to make those who were wronged whole again, or that they should be compensated in some way. — Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 21 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for wrong
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrong
  1. unacceptable
  2. incorrect
  3. inappropriate
  4. erroneous
  5. immoral
  6. bad
  7. injustice
  8. badly
Adjective
  • With a team that has a margin of error as small as the Dolphins, these penalties are unacceptable.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Likewise, the underlying crisis of commercially unacceptable risk in the Strait isn’t anywhere close to being resolved.
    — David Faris, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of unacceptable
Adjective
  • That can include circumstances outside the property holder’s control or if the Controller’s Office gave them incorrect information.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The company says its services can produce incorrect or incomplete information.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of incorrect
Adjective
  • The Portland Trail Blazers fired new play-by-play television broadcaster Braiden Bell on Thursday when past inappropriate social media posts resurfaced just hours after the team announced his hiring.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Sheriff’s officials said, investigators as of Thursday had not uncovered evidence indicating Chen had inappropriate physical contact with a child.
    — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of inappropriate
Adjective
  • Instead, Denver retained possession and capitalized on the erroneous call to win.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • That a reporter or two heard of this normal process led to the erroneous inference that a change of leadership is imminent.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of erroneous
Adjective
  • Some sources expand on the account in Genesis, suggesting the Sodomites were not only immoral but positively antimoral.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
  • What’s so immoral about a goal scored accidentally with a hand or arm anyway?
    — Graham Scott, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of immoral
Noun
  • In addition to public goods, AI will also create public bads.
    — James Broughel, Forbes.com, 8 June 2026
  • Naturally, the meeting is a flop because no one was prepared, and their spontaneous ideas are frankly fireable-offense bad (a baguette bag shaped like a baguette for Paris?
    — Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2025
Definition of bad
Noun
  • In a powerfully compelling novel that brims with the cadences of the Black South, Jones explores the women’s diverging lives while using them as a lens to observe social injustice in language that is intimate, conversational, and musical.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The case has drawn widespread attention in Atlanta, where Turner's death became a flashpoint amid nationwide protests over police brutality and racial injustice following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of injustice
Adverb
  • The extraordinary female characters at the heart of the show will be pushed to extremes, behave deliciously badly and have a whole lot of fun along the way.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026
  • But few could have anticipated just how badly the film would bomb.
    — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of badly

Phrases Containing wrong

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written up
wrong
wrongdoer
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Cite this Entry

“Wrong.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrong. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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