(|)mis+ verb
Etymology: mis- (I) + represent
transitive verb
1. : to represent incorrectly : to give a false, imperfect, or misleading representation of
they all misrepresented the past in the same prescribed way — R.B.Merriman
2. : to serve badly or improperly as a representative of
the principal lobbyists … were absolutely misrepresenting the membership of those societies — F.D.Roosevelt
intransitive verb
: to make an assertion or give an impression not in accord with the facts
misrepresents when he says that he was driving carefully
presents much from a partisan point of view; yet he never intentionally misrepresents — W.H.Allison
Synonyms:
misrepresent and belie can mean, in common, to represent falsely. misrepresent usually implies intent, suggesting deliberate falsification, injustice, bias, or prejudice
a biography completely misrepresenting his true character
misrepresent a case before a jury
belie , in this connection, implies merely to give an impression at variance with the facts
nothing she saw or touched gave token of even its own reality: even her wrist watch seemed to belie time — Elizabeth Bowen
the brevity and cheerfulness of the study belie the importance of its subject — Times Literary Supplement