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Misjudge: Definition, Usage & Examples (2 meaning)
Meaning 1：form a wrong opinion (misjudge)
misjudge
/mɪsˈdʒʌdʒ/
vt.
to form an incorrect opinion about someone or something, often due to lack of information or wrong assumptions.
form a wrong opinion
➕
/fɔːm ə rɒŋ əˈpɪnjən/
vt.
To reach an incorrect conclusion about a person or situation, typically because of insufficient information or flawed reasoning.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Root Explanation
Prefix 'mis-' (wrongly, badly) + root 'judge' (to form an opinion or conclusion).
💡 Mnemonic
Think: 'Missed the judge' – you missed the right judgment.
📖 Example
I completely misjudged my new teammate; I thought she was shy, but she's actually a very confident leader.
I formed a completely incorrect opinion about my new teammate.
🔗 Collocations
misjudge someone's character – to incorrectly assess a person's fundamental qualities
misjudge the situation – to incorrectly understand the circumstances
easily misjudge – to be prone to forming incorrect opinions
🔄 Synonyms
misinterpret (vt.) – to understand or explain something incorrectly
misread (vt.) – to interpret signs, behavior, or a situation wrongly
misconstrue (vt.) – to interpret a person's words or actions wrongly
🚫 Antonyms
assess correctly (vt. phrase) – to evaluate accurately
judge accurately (vt. phrase) – to form a correct opinion
evaluate properly (vt. phrase) – to appraise in the right way
🌱 Derivatives
misjudgement (n.) – an instance of forming a wrong opinion or estimate
misjudged (adj.) – characterized by being assessed incorrectly
📖 Cultural Story
Formed in the 16th century from the common Old English prefix 'mis-' and Middle English 'juggen'. The term is frequently used in legal and ethical discourse, particularly in judicial contexts to describe an erroneous ruling by a judge, highlighting the serious consequences of incorrect assessment.
Meaning 2：estimate incorrectly (misjudge)
misjudge
/mɪsˈdʒʌdʒ/
vt.
to make an incorrect estimate of distance, time, or amount, often while driving, playing sports, or doing daily tasks.
estimate incorrectly
➕
/ˈɛstɪmeɪt ˌɪnkəˈrɛktli/
vt.
To make a faulty calculation or prediction regarding a physical measurement like distance, speed, time, or quantity.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Example
He tried to park in a tight spot but misjudged the distance and lightly bumped the car behind him.
He incorrectly estimated the space available for parking.
🔗 Collocations
misjudge the distance – to estimate spatial separation inaccurately
misjudge the speed – to incorrectly calculate how fast something is moving
misjudge the timing – to get the moment for an action wrong
🔄 Synonyms
miscalculate (vt.) – to calculate or estimate wrongly
misestimate (vt.) – to form an incorrect approximation
misgauge (vt.) – to measure or estimate incorrectly
🚫 Antonyms
calculate precisely (vt. phrase) – to compute or estimate with exactness
gauge accurately (vt. phrase) – to measure correctly
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