I. ˈrȯŋ also ˈräŋ noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English wrong, wrang, from Old English wrang, from (assumed) Old English wrang, adjective — more at wrong II
1. : an injurious, unfair, or unjust act : violation of the right
set forth once again … so many were the wrongs that were to be righted, the grievances to be redressed — Malcolm Muggeridge
two wrongs don't make a right
2. : something that is wrong, immoral, or unethical ; especially : principles, practices, or conduct contrary to justice, goodness, or equity or to laws accepted as having divine or human sanction
not to know right from wrong
the wrong is not all on one side
3. : action or conduct inflicting harm without due provocation or just cause : serious injury wantonly inflicted or undeservedly sustained : unjust or unmerited treatment
have done so with a sense of wrong toward her — Gretchen Finletter
see wrongs on all sides
roused by a sense of wrong to herself or others — Gilbert Parker
4. : the state, position, or fact of being or doing wrong
was all-powerful and never in the wrong — F.M.Ford
as
a. : the state of being mistaken or incorrect
the election showed clearly how far in the wrong his predictions had been
b. : the state of being guilty of an unpardonable offense or of indefensible conduct or procedure
thorough investigation proved him irreparably in the wrong
5. archaic : physical harm or damage
newts and blindworms do no wrong , come not near our Fairy Queen — Shakespeare
6. : a violation of the legal rights of another : an invasion of right to the damage of the party who suffers it : tort — see private wrong ; compare public wrong
II. adjective
( sometimes wrong·er -ŋə(r) ; sometimes wrong·est -ŋə̇st)
Etymology: Middle English wrong, wrang, from (assumed) Old English wrang, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse rangr awry, wrong, Danish & Norwegian vrang; akin to Middle Dutch wranc sour, bitter, Middle High German ranc action of twisting, Old English wringan to wring — more at worry
1. : deviating from what is just and good : lacking in moral rectitude and integrity
parsons … thought it would be wrong for them … to undertake combatant service — Rose Macaulay
2. : not according to the moral standard : not ethically right or just : sinful , immoral
wrong principles of conduct
some habits are not wrong but are unsocial
those who hold that a lie is always wrong — Bertrand Russell
3. : not right or proper according to a specified or implied code, standard, or convention : at variance with what is generally acceptable or preferable
packing off those who talked to the wrong people — R.S.Brown
unfortunately was seen in all the wrong places
4. : not fitted or qualified for a particular intention or purpose : lacking suitability : inappropriate
the person in the wrong job who fails — W.J.Reilly
it seemed that he had said the wrong thing — Max Peacock
5. : not agreeing with or conforming to facts : erroneous , incorrect
gives his book a wrong date — DeLancey Ferguson
the figures are correct but the sum is wrong
6. : not up to the mark : not quite right : amiss , unsatisfactory
there is something wrong about the way the story ends
what's wrong with tea — Herbert Passin
don't see anything wrong with it
7. : not in accordance with one's intent, end, needs, or expectations
went up the wrong valley and lost several precious days — Heinrich Harrer
took the wrong size container and ran out of water
8. : of, relating to, or constituting the side of something that is usually held to be opposite to the principal one, that is the one naturally or by design turned down, inward, or away from one, and that is the least finished or polished
the wrong side of the fabric
pulled her pocket wrong side out — Margaret Deland
using the wrong end of the brush — David Sylvester
9. : of, relating to, or being the side that one disagrees with or disapproves of
the intellectual exercise of arguing on the wrong side of a question
10.
a. : least favorable, convenient, or safe : disadvantageous
the wrong side of the railroad tracks — J.A.Morris b. 1904
the tide was wrong for a landing — Carl Markwith
b. : contrary or opposite to that which is desirable, customary, or legitimate
a broken-down old soldier on the wrong side of seventy — D.G.Gerahty
got started on the wrong foot — Lee Greene
driving on the wrong side of the white line — Phoenix Flame
born on the wrong side of the blanket
swallowed something the wrong way and almost choked
11.
a. : acting, thinking, or judging in a manner at variance with truth or the facts : incorrect in opinion, judgment, or procedure : mistaken
the book … is often amusing, always arch and clever, and usually wrong — John Farrelly
b. : mentally unstable : insane
he is wrong in the head
12.
a. : betting that a dice shooter's next roll or series of rolls will lose
b. : due to lose on the next roll or series of rolls — used of a dice shooter
ten bucks he's wrong
III. adverb
Etymology: Middle English wrong, wrang, from wrong, wrang, adjective
1. : in a way inconsistent with fact or truth : in a mistaken or erroneous manner : without accuracy : incorrectly
guessed wrong
did his homework all wrong
2. : without regard for what is proper or fitting : without propriety
embarrassment made him act wrong
3. : in a manner not regarded as just or upright
should be made to put right what he has done wrong
4.
a. : in a wrong direction : amiss , astray
the package sent wrong by the post office
got lost because he turned wrong at the junction
b. : without regard for moral laws : on an evil or unvirtuous course
a slum environment may cause a child to go wrong
5. : in an unsuccessful or unfortunate way
what has gone wrong and what has led to the government's failure — J.G.Palfrey
6. : out of working or proper functional order or condition
the lock of one of them goes wrong — Charles Dickens
his kidneys may go wrong — H.A.Overstreet
7. : in a wrong position or relationship : in a false light
don't get me wrong — T.V.Smith
IV. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English wrongen, wrangen, from wrong, wrang, adjective
1.
a. : to do wrong to : treat with injustice : deprive of some right or withhold some act of justice from
where we have wronged the public trust, let there be no excuses — A.E.Stevenson b.1900
b. : to treat disrespectfully or dishonorably : violate
the girl he had loved and married and wronged — Zane Grey
2. : to deprive wrongfully : defraud , dispossess — usually used with of
it would wrong the Indians out of their land — William Bartram
3. archaic : to mar the appearance or effect of : impair , spoil
an indifferent good play but wronged by the women … in their parts — Samuel Pepys
4. : to impute a base motive to : dishonor or discredit especially by false statement : malign
you wrong him; his interests are wider than that — Israel Zangwill
5. : to harm physically : injure
6. : blanket 3d
Synonyms:
oppress , persecute , aggrieve : wrong suggests injuring someone in some unjust way; for example, by depriving him of rightful property or his good name or by violating something he holds sacred
he had wronged her; he had betrayed her; he had trampled her pride in the dust — Ellen Glasgow
oppress suggests causing someone to suffer by inhumanely laying a too heavy burden upon him
no matter how high it raises prices, how much it controls supply or to what extent it oppresses the general consumer — C.A.Cooke
oppress with excessive taxation
persecute suggests relentlessly or unremittingly subjecting someone to annoyance or suffering
persecute a child by constant criticism
when true science was persecuted under the Roman tyrants, superstition and false philosophy flourished the more — Encyc. Americana
aggrieve suggests giving someone by an injustice (as a wrong or oppression) reason for protest
the too familiar story of a sensitive child aggrieved by devilish adults — Elizabeth Janeway
provisions should be made for recourse to the courts by parties who may be aggrieved by such orders — S.T.Powell