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.

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

"I would have been mistaken for thinking I'd done some serious misconduct or some criminal offence - instead I told a bad joke for which I've apologised," he added.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

Okrent never met Sondheim, he tells us, but he had some near misses: He sat near the composer in the theater on more than one occasion and was even mistaken for him.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

In the heart of Sao Paulo, a "prisonometer" keeps a live tally of people jailed due to Latin America's largest AI facial-recognition system, but its successes have been marred by mistaken arrests.

From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026

Most women would be offended to be mistaken for the ghostly apparition, but she did not flinch at the horrific namesake.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall

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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