From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishwrongwrong1 /rɒŋ $ rɒːŋ/ ●●● S1 W1 adjective 1 not correctWRONG/INCORRECT not correct, and not based on true facts OPP right Your calculations must be wrong. I think I got question 3 wrong.it is wrong to do something It is wrong to assume that technological advance brings a higher quality of life. I wish you’d stop trying to prove me wrong (=show that I am wrong) all the time.2 → be wrong (about somebody/something)3 problems used to describe a situation where there are problems, or when someone is ill or unhappythere is something wrong/something is wrong When he didn’t come back that night, I knew that something was wrong.wrong with What is wrong with our society? People just don’t seem to care anymore. Is anything wrong? You haven’t said more than two words since you got here. Dave’s got something wrong with his foot. Don’t worry, there’s nothing wrong.4 not the right oneWRONG/INCORRECT not the one that you intended or the one that you really want OPP right The letter was delivered to the wrong address. driving on the wrong side of the road You’ve got the wrong man. I didn’t kill her. I think we went the wrong way at that last turning. There’s no one called Julia here. You must have the wrong number (=wrong telephone number).5 not morally rightBAD BEHAVIOUR OR ACTIONS not morally right or acceptable OPP rightit is wrong that It’s wrong that people should have to sleep on the streets.it is wrong to do something We all accept that it is wrong to torture people. We weren’t doing anything wrong!wrong with There’s nothing wrong with making a profit, provided you don’t cheat anyone.6 not suitableWRONG/UNSUITABLE not suitable for a particular purpose, situation, or person OPP right It’s the wrong time of year to be planning a holiday.wrong for Anna and I were wrong for each other in dozens of ways (=not suited for a romantic relationship with each other). 7 not working if something is wrong with a vehicle or machine, it stops working properlywrong with There’s something wrong with the car again. → go wrong at wrong2(2)8 unpleasant informal unpleasant and upsetting or offensive – often used humorously That joke's just wrong, man!9 → be the wrong way round/around10 → the wrong way up11 → take something the wrong way12 → be in the wrong place at the wrong time13 → get on the wrong side of somebody14 → get on the wrong side of the law15 → get off on the wrong foot16 → get the wrong end of the stick17 → be on the wrong track/tack18 → be from the wrong side of the tracks19 → be the wrong side of thirty/forty etc20 → correct me if I’m wrong21 → you’re not wrong22 → fall/get into the wrong handsCOLLOCATIONS – Meaning 1,2: adverbscompletely/totally/quite wrongI may be completely wrong.hopelessly wrongIn most cases judges are right, but in a few they are hopelessly wrong.verbsget something wrongThey’ve got their sums wrong.be proved wrong (=be shown to be wrong)People do not like to be proved wrong. THESAURUSwrong not correct or right – used about facts, answers etc, or peopleFor every wrong answer, you lose five points.The figure he gave me was wrong.I think you’re wrong about that.incorrect something that is incorrect is wrong because someone has made a mistake. Incorrect is more formal than wrong I’m afraid these prices are incorrect. The doctor had made an incorrect diagnosis.inaccurate something that is inaccurate is not exactly right and contains mistakesinaccurate informationinaccurate measurementsThe old maps were often inaccurate.false not based on true factsAre the following statements true or false?He was accused of giving false information to the police.untrue [not usually before noun] not based on true facts, especially because someone is lying or guessingI can’t believe he said that about me. It’s completely untrue!The allegations were untrue.misleading a misleading statement or piece of information makes people believe something that is wrong, especially because it does not give all the factsThe article was very misleading.misleading statisticsmisguided a misguided decision, belief, action etc is wrong because it is based on bad judgment or understandingThat decision seems misguided now.It was the consequence of a misguided economic policy.mistaken wrong – used about ideas and beliefs. Also used about a person being wrong. You’re mistaken sounds more polite and less direct than saying you’re wrongShe’s completely mistaken if she thinks that I don’t care about her.a mistaken belief COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 3: used to describe a situation where there are problems, or when someone is ill or unhappyphrasesthere is something/nothing wrongThere’s something wrong with this yogurt.something/nothing is wrongIt was four whole days before anyone even noticed something was wrong.what’s wrongWhat’s wrong with your leg?adverbsvery wrongSomething is very wrong.terribly/dreadfully/horribly wrongHarry felt sure that something was terribly wrong.
Examples from the Corpus
wrong• Mom always told us that stealing was wrong.• People used to believe that the world was flat, but we now know this is wrong.• The schedule must be wrong.• And you're always dead wrong.• It would make so many others wrong.• I don't deny that what I did was wrong, but I had no choice at the time.• Alice felt she had made the wrong decision.• Someone had moved the road sign so it was pointing in the wrong direction.• Do you think violence is always wrong, even in self-defence?• I was taught that abortion is wrong, even though it's not illegal.• When your forecasts are significantly wrong, find out why.• His brand of nationalism is wrong for our party and wrong for the country.• Dave's wrong for this job. He doesn't have enough patience.• I must have been wrong I suppose.• I wouldn't like you to get the wrong impression -- I do enjoy the course, but I just find it very hard work.• Myrna accidentally took the wrong medicine.• One wrong move, we realized with horror, and the doors could come tumbling down.• I tried to phone him, but it was the wrong number.• It was wrong of Sophie to take the money without asking.• The files had been put back in the wrong order.• It's wrong the way they treat that poor animal.• I think you picked the wrong time to call her.• Was I wrong to make a fuss?• It is wrong to treat people this way -- they should be given a chance to defend themselves.• The other members of the joint chiefs agreed with him that the Indochina conflict was the wrong war in the wrong place.• There's nothing wrong with making money, is there?• For every answer that is wrong, you lose five points.got ... wrong• Anybody who reveres wine has got it all wrong.• From the start of the day to its finish, the Government have got their priorities wrong.• He acknowledges that he got his timing wrong.• If indeed the people imagined that a human death would appease the Goddess they obviously got it wrong.• It would be a shame if those doctors opposed to the reforms had once again got it wrong.• I thought his poetry was funnier than his jokes, but I often got things wrong in those days.• Considering that this was just the period when women were making history, Thompson has got it very wrong indeed.• As a financial proposition, it has either consistently got its sums wrong or the people have never wanted their palace enough.wrong with• There's nothing wrong with making lots of money as long as you don't cheat people.• Something's gone wrong with my watch.• There's something wrong with the phone, the line's dead.• What's wrong with wearing blue socks with a black suit?• What's wrong with your car?• There's nothing wrong with your TV. The station had a power outage. wrong way• Do not tack too much in the early stages of the beat and do not let yourself be forced the wrong way.• Weeb said his father was afraid people might take it the wrong way.• They rub each other up the wrong way, and yet end up having a raunchy scene in a motel room.• Gabriel was looking the wrong way at the crucial second.• We went the wrong way, I suppose.• He drove off the lot, up Fox the wrong way so he could park on Prospect.• At one point he drove the wrong way through a contra-flow system.• If you lift heavy weights and you lift in the wrong way, you can obviously do yourself damage.it is wrong that• Since such fraudulent claimants are not actually unemployed, it is wrong that they should be counted as so.wrong for• This is the wrong paint for the outside of the house. There’s something wrong with• Spike There's something wrong with the goggles though.• Spike There's something wrong with this yogurt.wrongwrong2 ●●● S2 adverb 1 WRONG/INCORRECTnot in the correct way OPP right You’ve spelt my name wrong. What? Have I done it wrong? I asked him to sort those files, but he’s done it all wrong (=in completely the wrong way).2 → go wrong3 → get something wrong4 → don’t get me wrong5 → you can’t go wrong (with something) → come out wrong at come outCOLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: adverbsgo badly/seriously wrongThe book is a thriller about a diamond robbery that goes badly wrong.go horribly/terribly wrongFrom that moment on, everything went horribly wrong for the team.go disastrously wrongHelp was close at hand in case the stunt went disastrously wrong.go tragically wrong (=so that death or serious injury results)A father and son died in a fire after a good deed for a friend went tragically wrong.phrasesthings go wrongIf things go wrong, they’ll blame me.something/nothing/everything goes wrongIf something goes wrong with your machine, you can take it back to the dealer.you can’t go wrong (=you cannot make a mistake)Turn right and then right again - you really can’t go wrong. if anything can go wrong, it willI’m sure that if anything can go wrong, it will. Examples from the Corpus
wrong• I think you've added it up wrongly.• Rightly or wrongly, employees see 'performance pay raises' as unfair.• The police chief admitted that some prisoners had been wrongly punished.• You idiot, Todd - you did it all wrong.• The Bill ensures that there is a clear complaints procedures should things go wrong.• The brainy men all went along To see that nothing should go wrong.• They spelled my name wrong on the envelope.• You've spelled my name wrong -- there should be an 'e' at the end.done ... wrong• Being called before a grand jury does not mean a witness has done anything wrong.• Computers store the names of people who have done wrong.• If you have a body, you must have done something wrong.• Like a country-western singer, she choruses again and again that her man has done her wrong.• Why should she be the victim when she had done nothing wrong?• She had never done anything wrong and she did not deserve to be persecuted.• I felt as if I was a schoolboy who had done something wrong and was being taken to see the headmaster.• There was almost a feeling that we had done wrong by keeping him with us.wrongwrong3 ●●○ noun 1 [uncountable]BAD BEHAVIOUR OR ACTIONS behaviour that is not morally right He’s too young to know right from wrong. Those who do wrong should be punished.somebody can do no wrong (=they are perfect) Nathan adored her, and she could do no wrong in his eyes.2 [countable]WRONG/UNJUSTIFIED an action, judgment, or situation that is unfair The black population suffered countless wrongs at the hands of a racist regime.right a wrong (=bring justice to an unfair situation)3 → be in the wrong4 → do somebody wrong5 → two wrongs don’t make a rightExamples from the Corpus
wrong• Did the person know the difference between right and wrong?• Benjy's too young to know right from wrong.• He who wanted only to do right was so placed that he must choose between two hideous wrongs.• So what's in your catalogue of known wrongs?• Punishment for the wrongs of the regime still needs to be addressed.right from wrong• The spectator stands beside us and helps us discern right from wrong.• And one of the distinctive features of life here has been a gradual loss of the ability to distinguish right from wrong.• But knowing right from wrong is the easy part.• I got enough sense to sit up there and tell right from wrong.• At the age of 6, a child should be able to tell right from wrong.• They need some one to guide them, to show them right from wrong.right a wrong• Most problems arise from neglect and, since repairs involve skilled labour, righting a wrong can be expensive.• Its business is not to right wrongs, but to make money.wrongwrong4 verb [transitive] formalUNFAIR to treat or judge someone unfairly Both sides felt that they had been wronged.→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
wrong• Both athletes felt they had been wronged by the committee's decision.• He feels himself wronged by unspoken accusations.Origin wrong1 (1100-1200) Old Norse rangr “not correct or as planned” 