Standard Lemma guide

misrepresent

verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˌmɪsˌɹɛpɹəˈzɛnt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /ˌmɪsˌɹepɹəˈzent/
  • New-Zealand: /ˌməsˌɹepɹəˈzent/
  • CMU ARPABET: M IH0 S R EH2 P R AH0 Z EH1 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To represent falsely; to inaccurately portray something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The fraudster misrepresented himself as a lawyer.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

represent falsely

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • This statement misrepresents my intentions

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: belie

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: represent

Narrower terms: sentimentalize, sentimentalise, falsify, distort, garble, warp, feign, sham, pretend, affect, dissemble

3

verb

Meaning 3

tamper, with the purpose of deception

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Fudge the figures
  • cook the books
  • falsify the data

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fudge, manipulate, fake, falsify, cook, wangle

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cheat, chisel

Narrower terms: juggle

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *mey-? Proto-Indo-European *meyth2-der. Proto-Germanic *missaz Proto-Germanic *missa- Proto-West Germanic *missa- Old English mis- Middle English mys- English mis- Proto-Italic *wre- Latin re-der. Old French re-bor. Middle English re- English re- English presend English -t English present English represent English misrepresent From mis- + represent.

Across languages

Translations

33 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: խեղաթյուրել (xeġatʻyurel) — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • Bulgarian: представям за (predstavjam za) — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • Bulgarian: представя за (predstavja za) — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • Chinese Cantonese: 歪曲 (waai1 kuk1) — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • Hakka Chinese: 歪曲 (vâi-khiuk) — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • Chinese: 歪曲 (oai-khiok) — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • Chinese Mandarin: 歪曲 (wāiqū) — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • Czech: nesprávně vylíčit — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • Czech: zkreslit — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • Czech: překroutit — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • French: détorquer — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • German: umlügen — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • Latin: dētorqueō — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • Māori: aweke — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • Māori: whakapeau — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • Māori: whakatapeha — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • Polish: przeinaczać — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • Polish: przeinaczyć — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • Portuguese: deturpar — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • Russian: искази́ть (iskazítʹ) — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • Russian: передёргивать (peredjórgivatʹ) — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • Russian: передёрнуть (peredjórnutʹ) — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • Spanish: incurrir en falsedad — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • Spanish: tergiversar (las palabras de) — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • Spanish: deformar — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • Spanish: desformar — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • Spanish: disformar — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • Swedish: förvanska — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • Thai: บิดเบือน (bìt-bʉʉan) — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • Ukrainian: переіна́кшити (pereinákšyty) — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • Ukrainian: переіна́кшувати (pereinákšuvaty) — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • Vietnamese: bóp méo — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as
  • Vietnamese: xuyên tạc — to inaccurately portray something — see also pass off as