To misread means to read something incorrectly or understand it in the wrong way. When you misread a word, you might see “horse” but accidentally read it as “house,” changing the whole meaning of the sentence. You might misread your teacher's handwriting on an assignment and do the wrong problems for homework.

The word goes beyond simple reading mistakes. You can also misread a situation when you completely misunderstand what's happening. Imagine your best friend seems quiet at lunch, and you worry she's angry with you. Later you discover she was just tired from staying up late finishing a science project. You misread her mood, mistaking exhaustion for anger.

People often misread facial expressions or tone of voice, interpreting a neutral comment as criticism or missing someone's sarcasm. A baseball player might misread a fly ball and run to the wrong spot in the outfield.

The key idea is getting something wrong because you interpreted the information incorrectly. Whether you're looking at words on a page, reading a map upside down, or trying to figure out if your sister is joking or serious, misreading means your brain processed the signals and came to the wrong conclusion.