Meaning of wrong in English

wrong

adjective
uk ​ /rɒŋ/ us ​ /rɑːŋ/

wrong adjective (NOT CORRECT)

A1 not correct:

Three of your answers were wrong.
That clock is wrong - it's 12.30, not 12.15.
Some of his facts are questionable, others are plainly (= completely) wrong.
Opposite
right (CORRECT)

A2 If someone is wrong, they are not correct in their judgment or statement about something:

You were wrong about the time - the bank closed at 3.30.
He's wrong in thinking that we will support the project financially.
prove sb wrong

› to show by your actions that someone's judgment of you was not correct:

I thought she couldn't do it, but she proved me wrong.

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wrong adjective (NOT SUITABLE)

C1 not suitable or correct, or not as it should be:

She's the wrong person for the job.
We must have taken a wrong turning.
I'm sorry, you've got the wrong number (= this is not the phone number you wanted).
Opposite
right (SUITABLE)

› Something that is wrong is not considered to be socially acceptable or suitable:

She got in with the wrong crowd (= a group of people who behaved badly) at university.

B1 If you ask someone what is wrong, you want to know what is worrying or upsetting them:

You've been quiet all evening. Is there anything wrong?
What's wrong with you today?
the wrong way around

› mainly UK also the wrong way round If something is the wrong way around, the part that should be at the front is at the back:

You've got your skirt on the wrong way round.

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wrong adjective (NOT MORAL)

B2 not considered morally acceptable by most people:

Children should be taught that violence is wrong.
It was wrong of her to lie to you.
What's wrong with having a little fun?
Opposite
right

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Idiom(s)

catch sb on the wrong foot
get the wrong end of the stick
get/fall into the wrong hands
go down the wrong way
in the wrong place at the wrong time
send/give out (all) the wrong signals

wrong

adverb
uk ​ /rɒŋ/ us ​ /rɑːŋ/

A2 informal in a way that is not correct:

You've spelled my name wrong.
See also
wrongly
get sth wrong B1 informal

› to make a mistake in the way you answer or understand something:

I spent hours doing that problem and I still got the answer wrong.
You've got it all wrong - it was your boss that she was annoyed with and not you!
go wrong

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B2 If a situation or event goes wrong, it becomes unpleasant and is not a success:

Our marriage began to go wrong after we had our first child.

› to make a mistake:

These shelves are very easy to put together - you can't go wrong.
I thought I'd done this correctly - I just can't understand where I went wrong.

B1 UK If a machine goes wrong, it stops working correctly:

Our TV keeps going wrong.

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Idiom

don't get me wrong

wrong

noun
uk ​ /rɒŋ/ us ​ /rɑːŋ/

› [ U ] what is considered to be morally unacceptable:

He has no sense of right and wrong.
I was brought up to tell the truth and know right from wrong.
As far as her parents are concerned, she can do no wrong (= she is perfect in every way).

› [ C ] formal an unfair action:

He has done us a great wrong.
She was trying to right (= do something to make better) the wrongs of the past.
in the wrong

› If someone is in the wrong, they have made a mistake or done something that is bad or illegal:

The driver was unquestionably in the wrong.

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Idiom

two wrongs don't make a right

wrong

verb [ T ]
uk ​ /rɒŋ/ us ​ /rɑːŋ/ formal

(Definition of “wrong” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

"wrong" in American English

wrongadjective
us ​ /rɔŋ/

wrong adjective (NOT CORRECT)

› not correct or not accurate:

Three of your answers were wrong.
That clock is wrong – it’s 12:30, not 12:15.
I dialed the wrong number.

wrong adjective (NOT SUITABLE)

› not suitable or desirable, or not as it should be:

It was the wrong time to ask for a raise.
She was just the wrong person for the job.

wrong adjective (IMMORAL)

› [ not gradable ] not morally acceptable:

He believes that censorship is wrong.

wrong adjective (NOT WORKING)

› [ not gradable ] not working correctly:

Something’s wrong with the dishwasher – it’s leaking again.

wrong

adverb [ not gradable ] us ​ /rɔŋ/

›

It doesn’t work – what am I doing wrong?

Idiom

in the wrong place at the wrong time
wrongverb [ T ]
us ​ /rɔŋ/

wrong verb [ T ] (TREAT UNFAIRLY)

› to treat someone in an unfair or unacceptable way:

He felt he had been wronged, but everyone else blamed him for what happened.

› To wrong someone is also to judge someone unfairly and express uncertainty about that person’s character:

That reporter wronged her, saying she was an unfit mother.
wrongnoun
us ​ /rɔŋ/

wrong noun (IMMORAL ACT)

› [ C/U ] behavior or an act that is morally unacceptable; evil or an evil act:

[ U ] She has a keen sense of right and wrong.
[ C ] It’s impossible to exaggerate the wrongs caused by slavery.

wrong noun (ACT THAT IS NOT CORRECT)

› behavior or an act that is not correct:

If there's been a wrong, physicians (= doctors) want it made right.

Idiom

in the wrong

(Definition of “wrong” from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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