mistaken

[mi-stey-kuhn] / mɪˈsteɪ kən /

ADJECTIVE

having made a mistake; wrong

Synonyms

STRONGEST

confounded confused deceived deluded duped fooled misguided misinformed misinterpreting misjudging misled tricked

STRONG

erroneous false faulty illogical inaccurate inappropriate incorrect misconstrued unfounded untrue unwarranted wrong

WEAK

all wet at fault barking up wrong tree confused with fallacious ill-advised off base off-track sadly mistaken unadvised under wrong impression unreal unsound way-off wide of mark wrong number wrongly identified

Antonyms

STRONGEST

accurate correct honest right substantiated true valid

WEAK

exact fair just precise sound

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.

“It just shouldn’t be mistaken for anything serious.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Zoologists believe the animal decayed for weeks before it was fossilised and this led to the case of mistaken identity.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

When Peet told Shear she is often mistaken for Bell, they reconfigured the moment.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

The splitter’s decline was due to a mistaken belief it caused elbow injuries, but modern data shows it puts less torque on the elbow.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

The straightforward example of the discovery of the moons of Jupiter shows that these claims are superficially plausible, but mistaken.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Vocabulary lists containing mistaken

Way Off: Synonyms for "Wrong"

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"Fear" and "Violence Hits Home"

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Power Suffix: -en

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