wrong 1 of 4

1
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard there is something wrong with this cake—it has a funny taste

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in incorrect
having an opinion that does not agree with truth or the facts I'm sorry, but the latest research proves you wrong

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
4
5
as in immoral
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable was caught doing something wrong

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

wrong

2 of 4

noun

wrong

3 of 4

adverb

wrong

4 of 4

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun wrong contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of wrong are grievance, injury, and injustice. While all these words mean "an act that inflicts undeserved hurt," wrong applies also in law to any act punishable according to the criminal code; it may apply more generally to any flagrant injustice.

determined to right society's wrongs

When might grievance be a better fit than wrong?

The words grievance and wrong are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, grievance applies to a circumstance or condition that constitutes an injustice to the sufferer and gives just ground for complaint.

a list of employee grievances

In what contexts can injury take the place of wrong?

Although the words injury and wrong have much in common, injury applies in law specifically to an injustice for which one may sue to recover compensation.

libel constitutes a legal injury

Where would injustice be a reasonable alternative to wrong?

The synonyms injustice and wrong are sometimes interchangeable, but injustice applies to any act that involves unfairness to another or violation of one's rights.

the injustices suffered by the lower classes

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wrong
Adjective
Users in the comments widely agreed that the group of friends was overreacting, and the woman wasn't wrong. Rachel Raposas, People.com, 30 May 2025 While much of the plot remains under lock and key, THR can reveal that one point revolves around the son of Stiller and Polo’s characters, who gets engaged to a ball-busting woman who seems all wrong for him. Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 30 May 2025
Noun
There has been a vociferous debate ever since about the rights and wrongs of the reaction. James Pearce, New York Times, 13 May 2025 His carelessness of practical things caused him to be cheated and defrauded frequently, to the indignation of his wife especially; but the gentleness of his forgiveness of a wrong was trying sometimes. John Jeremiah Sullivan, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
Adverb
Low income workers would get a a 5% federal match which helps right wrong of the top heavy current tax expenditures. Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025 Republican committee members on Tuesday pushed claims, also without evidence, about the investigations into JFK's death, repeatedly getting facts surrounding the probes wrong and even yielding their time to allow witnesses to freely talk about theories rather than asking questions. Lalee Ibssa, ABC News, 1 Apr. 2025
Verb
She was wronged from a very young age — and those who did it to her . . . Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 5 May 2025 In theory, if a public benefit corporation isn’t benefiting the public, you — a member of the public — are being wronged. Kelsey Piper, Vox, 25 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wrong
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrong
Adjective
  • And sometimes the soldiers can do things which are totally unacceptable and can be called crimes.
    Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 6 June 2025
  • Shamkhani underscored that the absence of sanctions relief rendered the U.S. plan unacceptable.
    Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
Adjective
  • The senators are incorrect three times, and surely more.
    John Tamny, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
  • But here’s the twist: both might technically be incorrect.
    Simon Perry, People.com, 27 May 2025
Adjective
  • There can be a change to the list if a storm is so deadly or costly that the future use of its name on another would be inappropriate.
    Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
  • Both the city’s account and Mayor Quinton Lucas issued online apologies that night, agreeing that the post was inappropriate.
    Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2025
Adjective
  • But at these later stages, none of the remaining instances were in an erroneous state.
    John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 6 June 2025
  • Meta said that its new policies had helped reduce erroneous content removals in the US by half without broadly exposing users to more offensive content than before the changes.
    Paresh Dave, Wired News, 29 May 2025
Adjective
  • Kudos to Bruce Springsteen for practicing his First Amendment rights to rail against the corrupt policies and immoral actions of the Trump administration.
    Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 30 May 2025
  • Independent jurors can blunt the force of immoral laws and arbitrary prosecutions by refusing to subject their neighbors to unjust laws or overtly cruel punishment.
    Mike Fox, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2025
Noun
  • While working together on The Unit, David Mamet once told you that good drama isn’t a choice between good and bad; good drama is the choice between two bads.
    Max Gao, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Jan. 2025
  • Reports out of fall camp haven’t been super favorable to their offense, and while the defense will, again, be top-notch, a team with this bad of an offense cannot be trusted.
    Austin Mock, The Athletic, 19 Aug. 2024
Noun
  • Throw in the doping allegations, and Hungary’s loss must be considered one of football’s greatest injustices.
    Michael Cox, New York Times, 1 June 2025
  • Their picks examine the power of demagogues, the injustices of the immigration system, the reasons protest movements have failed, and the fear of others.
    The New Yorker, New Yorker, 28 May 2025
Adverb
  • Adding to the shock factor of this particular comeback was how badly Indiana handled the ball in the first half.
    Joe Vardon, New York Times, 6 June 2025
  • Everlane Khaki Wide-leg Linen Pants These high-rise pants from Everlane are made from a breezy linen-viscose blend that won’t wrinkle as badly as 100 percent linen.
    Alexandra Pereira, Travel + Leisure, 5 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wrong.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrong. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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