Definitions Related words Mentions Lyrics History Colors (New!)

Literary notes about misinterpret (AI summary)

Across literature, the term "misinterpret" is often employed to underscore the delicate balance between what an author intends to convey and what a reader might mistakenly take away. For instance, Rabelais [1] and Goethe [2] use the term as an admonishment to ensure that the listener or reader fully grasps the precise meaning behind the words, urging a correct comprehension of their intentions. Similarly, Congreve [3] employs the term, albeit in a more direct, personal rebuke, to emphasize the potential for misunderstanding even straightforward criticism. In contrast, Santayana [4] and Forster [5] illustrate that the risk of misinterpretation sometimes arises unintentionally, either from the inherent ambiguity in indirect symptoms or from a misaligned pursuit of abstract ideals. Dickens [6] further adds a nuanced layer by suggesting that a deliberate restraint in self-expression might be necessary to prevent one’s natural inclinations from being misconstrued. Together, these examples reveal a common literary preoccupation: the tension between clarity and misunderstanding in the communication of ideas.
  1. My friend, quoth Hippothadee, take my words in the sense wherein I meant them, and do not misinterpret me.
    — from Gargantua and Pantagruel by François Rabelais
  2. I pray you, do not misinterpret this.
    — from The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
  3. You misinterpret my reproof.
    — from The Way of the World by William Congreve
  4. Yet these indirect symptoms are so striking that even an outsider, if at all observant, need not fear to misinterpret them.
    — from The Life of Reason: The Phases of Human Progress by George Santayana
  5. He may miss it through stupidity, or misinterpret it, but he is always asking beauty to enter his life, and I believe that in the end it will come.
    — from Howards End by E. M. Forster
  6. I forced myself to be constrained, lest you might misinterpret my being more natural.
    — from Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens

More usage examples

Also see: Google, News, Images, Wikipedia, Reddit, BlueSky


Home   Reverse Dictionary / Thesaurus   Datamuse   Word games   Spruce   Feedback   Dark mode   Random word   Help


Color thesaurus

Use OneLook to find colors for words and words for colors

See an example

Literary notes

Use OneLook to learn how words are used by great writers

See an example

Word games

Try our innovative vocabulary games

Play Now

Read the latest OneLook newsletter issue: Threepeat Redux