wrong
(adjective, adverb)
LISTEN
Something went wrong.
If something is wrong, it means that it isn’t correct.
- Sorry, that’s the wrong answer.
It can also mean that something is not the thing that you need.
- Oh no, I sent it to the wrong address!
If someone is wrong, it means that they said something or thought something that wasn’t correct.
- You were wrong about her. She’s nice!
If you do something wrong, it means that you don’t do it the correct way.
- You’re saying her name wrong.
If something goes wrong, it means that something bad happens, or that it doesn’t happen in the way that you would like.
- Everything’s going wrong for me today.
Common uses
When we can see that someone is sad, angry or upset, and we want to know why, we can ask, “What’s wrong?” It means, “What’s the problem?” For example, “What’s wrong?” “I’ve lost my car keys and I can’t get home!”
In pop culture
Do you know the movie The Wrong Trousers? It’s about a penguin who comes to live with Wallace and his dog Gromit. The penguin wants to steal a diamond, but he needs help. In this video from the movie, Wallace is wearing some strange trousers (trousers is the British word for pants). How is the penguin using Wallace to steal the diamond?
There are other meanings of wrong.
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