/ rɒŋ; NAmE rɔːŋ/ adjective , adverb , noun , verb
■ adjective
NOT CORRECT
1.
not right or correct :
I got all the answers wrong.
He was driving on the wrong side of the road.
Sorry, I must have dialled the wrong number.
You're holding the camera the wrong way up !
That picture is the wrong way round .
OPP right
2.
[ not before noun ] wrong (about sth/sb) | wrong (to do sth) ( of a person ) not right about sth/sb
SYN mistaken :
I think she lives at number 44, but I could be wrong.
You were wrong about Tom; he's not married after all.
We were wrong to assume that she'd agree.
She would prove him wrong (= prove that he was wrong) whatever happened.
( informal )
You think you've beaten me but that's where you're wrong .
( informal )
Correct me if I'm wrong (= I may be wrong) but didn't you say you two knew each other?
CAUSING PROBLEMS
3.
[ not before noun ] wrong (with sb/sth) causing problems or difficulties; not as it should be :
Is anything wrong ? You look worried.
' What's wrong ?' 'Oh, nothing.'
There's something wrong with the printer.
The doctor could find nothing wrong with him.
I have something wrong with my foot.
NOT SUITABLE
4.
[ usually before noun ] wrong (sth) (for sth) | wrong (sth to do) not suitable, right or what you need :
He's the wrong person for the job.
I realized that it was the wrong thing to say.
We don't want this document falling into the wrong hands .
It was his bad luck to be in the wrong place at the wrong time (= so that he got involved in trouble without intending to) .
NOT MORALLY RIGHT
5.
[ not usually before noun ] wrong (of / for sb) (to do sth) not morally right or honest :
This man has done nothing wrong .
It is wrong to tell lies.
It was wrong of me to get so angry.
What's wrong with eating meat?
► wrong·ness noun [ U ] ( formal )
•
IDIOMS
- from / on the wrong side of the tracks
- get (hold of) the wrong end of the stick
- on the wrong side of the law
- take sth the wrong way
—more at back verb , bark verb , bed noun , far adverb , foot noun , note noun , rub verb , side noun , track noun
■ adverb
(used after verbs) in a way that produces a result that is not correct or that you do not want :
My name is spelt wrong.
The program won't load. What am I doing wrong ?
I was trying to apologize but it came out wrong (= what I said sounded wrong) .
'I thought you were going out.' 'Well you must have thought wrong , then!'
OPP right
•
IDIOMS
- get sb wrong
- get sth wrong
- go wrong
- you can't go wrong (with sth)
—more at foot noun
■ noun
1.
[ U ] behaviour that is not honest or morally acceptable :
Children must be taught the difference between right and wrong.
Her son can do no wrong in her eyes.
2.
[ C ] ( formal ) an act that is not legal, honest or morally acceptable :
It is time to forgive past wrongs if progress is to be made.
OPP right
•
IDIOMS
- in the wrong
- two wrongs don't make a right
—more at right verb
■ verb
[ vn ] [ usually passive ] ( formal ) to treat sb badly or in an unfair way :
He felt deeply wronged by the allegations.
••
SYNONYMS
wrong
false ♦ mistaken ♦ incorrect ♦ inaccurate ♦ misguided ♦ untrue
These words all describe sth that is not right or correct, or sb who is not right about sth.
wrong
not right or correct; (of a person) not right about sb / sth:
I got all the answers wrong.
•
We were wrong to assume she'd agree.
false
not true or correct; wrong because it is based on sth that is not true or correct:
A whale is a fish. True or false?
•
She gave false information to the insurance company.
mistaken
wrong in your opinion or judgement; based on a wrong opinion or bad judgement:
You're completely mistaken about Jane.
incorrect
( rather formal ) wrong according to the facts; containing mistakes:
Many of the figures were incorrect.
inaccurate
wrong according to the facts; containing mistakes:
The report was badly researched and quite inaccurate.
incorrect or inaccurate?
A fact, figure or spelling that is wrong is incorrect ; information, a belief or a description based on incorrect facts can be incorrect or inaccurate ; something that is produced, such as a film, report or map, that contains incorrect facts is inaccurate .
misguided
wrong because you have understood or judged a situation badly:
In her misguided attempts to help, she only made the situation worse.
untrue
not based on facts, but invented or guessed:
These accusations are totally untrue.
PATTERNS AND COLLOCATIONS :
be wrong / mistaken about sth
to prove wrong / false / mistaken / incorrect / inaccurate / misguided / untrue
wrong / false / mistaken / incorrect / inaccurate / untrue information
a(n) false / mistaken / incorrect / inaccurate / misguided belief
a(n) wrong/ incorrect answer
absolutely / completely / totally / quite wrong / false / mistaken / incorrect / inaccurate / misguided / untrue
It is / would be wrong / false / incorrect / inaccurate / untrue to say...
••
WHICH WORD
wrong / wrongly / wrongfully
In informal language wrong can be used as an adverb instead of wrongly , when it means 'incorrectly' and comes after a
verb or its object:
My name was spelled wrong.
•
I'm afraid you guessed wrong.
Wrongly is used before a past participle or a that clause:
My name was wrongly spelt.
•
She guessed wrongly that he was a teacher.
Wrongfully is usually used in a formal legal situation with words like convicted, dismissed and imprisoned.
••
WORD ORIGIN
late Old English wrang , from Old Norse rangr awry, unjust; related to wring .