wrongly
gb/ɹˈɔŋli/ us/ɹˈɔŋli/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
adverb
B2
property
1
in an incorrect way
in a way that is not correct
Usage pattern:
wrongly [verb] / wrongly [past_participle]
Common mistake:
Don’t use wrongly after linking verbs like be: say “The answer is wrong,” not “The answer is wrongly.”
Synonyms
incorrectly (the most direct synonym for factual or procedural errors.)
|
mistakenly (highlights that the error comes from a wrong belief.)
|
erroneously (more formal, often used in writing.)
Antonyms
correctly (done with no errors.)
|
accurately (correct and precise, especially with facts or measurements.)
Collocations
wrongly assume
|wrongly believe
|wrongly interpret
|wrongly calculate
|wrongly spell
|wrongly estimate
|wrongly read
|wrongly label
|wrongly reported
|wrongly thought
Themes
communication
|learning
|daily_life
Examples
- I wrongly assumed the meeting started at 10.
- The date was wrongly printed on the tickets.
- If you enter the password wrongly, your account may lock.
Learner examples
- I answered the question wrongly.
- She wrongly believed the shop was closed.
adverb
B2
property
2
without justice or good reason
in a way that is unfair and not right
Usage pattern:
wrongly accused/convicted/blamed
Synonyms
unjustly (emphasizes unfairness and lack of justice.)
|
unfairly (common everyday word; broader and less legal.)
|
without justification (explicitly focuses on missing reasons or evidence.)
Antonyms
justly (in a fair way that is deserved.)
|
rightly (with good reason; appropriately.)
Collocations
wrongly accused
|wrongly convicted
|wrongly imprisoned
|wrongly blamed
|wrongly punished
|wrongly dismissed
|wrongly denied
|wrongly targeted
|wrongly suspected
|wrongly charged
Themes
law
|justice
|society
Examples
- He was wrongly accused of stealing the money.
- New evidence showed she had been wrongly convicted.
- The employee said he was wrongly dismissed.
Learner examples
- She was wrongly blamed for the mistake.
adverb
C1
property
3
in a morally bad way
in a bad or unfair way (morally)
Usage pattern:
act wrongly / treat [someone] wrongly
Common mistake:
This sense is about moral judgment; for simple factual mistakes, use the ‘incorrectly’ sense.
Synonyms
improperly (often about behavior that breaks social rules or standards.)
|
immorally (stronger; clearly about morality.)
Antonyms
rightly (in a morally correct way.)
|
properly (in an appropriate or acceptable way.)
Collocations
act wrongly
|behave wrongly
|treat someone wrongly
|judge someone wrongly
|punish someone wrongly
|do someone wrong
Themes
ethics
|behavior
Examples
- He knew he had acted wrongly and apologized.
- They felt the company had treated them wrongly.
- I don’t think you did anything wrongly by speaking up.
Learner examples
- I acted wrongly.
Grammar
Dictionary form
wrongly
IPA
GB/ɹˈɔŋli/
US/ɹˈɔŋli/
Syllables & stress
wrongly (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (wrongly)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: wrongly
- Plural: wronglies
Expressions
wrongly accused
1/ɹˈɔŋli əkjˈuzd/
fixed phrase
blamed for a crime unfairly
someone is blamed for something they didn’t do
Examples
- She was wrongly accused of cheating on the exam.
- The report led to several people being wrongly accused.
- He spent months trying to prove he was wrongly accused.
wrongly assume
1/ɹˈɔŋli əsˈum/
fixed phrase
believe without proof, incorrectly
to think something is true, but it isn’t
Examples
- I wrongly assumed you had already paid.
- Many people wrongly assume that all fats are bad.
- She wrongly assumed the email was spam and deleted it.
wrongly attributed to
1/ɹˈɔŋli ətɹˈɪbjətɪd tə/
fixed phrase
formal
credited to the wrong source
said to be by someone, but it isn’t
Examples
- The quote is often wrongly attributed to Einstein.
- The painting was wrongly attributed to a famous artist for decades.
- Several comments were wrongly attributed to her in the article.
wrongly believe
1/ɹˈɔŋli bɪlˈiv/
fixed phrase
believe something that is false
to believe something that is not true
Examples
- He wrongly believed the deadline was next week.
- Some people wrongly believe that vaccines cause the flu.
- I wrongly believed the service was included in the price.
wrongly convicted
1/ɹˈɔŋli kənvˈɪktɪd/
fixed phrase
found guilty unfairly
a person is judged guilty, but they are not guilty
Examples
- DNA evidence proved that he had been wrongly convicted.
- The documentary tells the story of two wrongly convicted men.
- She campaigned for years after being wrongly convicted of fraud.
wrongly diagnosed
1/ɹˈɔŋli dˌaɪəɡnˈoʊzd/
fixed phrase
given the wrong medical diagnosis
a doctor says the wrong illness
Examples
- She was wrongly diagnosed with asthma for years.
- Some patients are wrongly diagnosed because symptoms overlap.
- He later discovered he had been wrongly diagnosed with depression.
wrongly identified
1/ɹˈɔŋli aɪdˈɛntɪfˌaɪd/
fixed phrase
recognized as the wrong person
someone is named as the wrong person
Examples
- The suspect was wrongly identified by a witness.
- The photo was wrongly identified as being from last year.
- Several passengers were wrongly identified due to a system error.
wrongly imprisoned
1/ɹˈɔŋli ɪmpɹˈɪzənd/
fixed phrase
put in prison unfairly
someone is sent to prison unfairly
Examples
- He received compensation after being wrongly imprisoned for six years.
- The organization supports people who were wrongly imprisoned.
- She wrote about the impact of being wrongly imprisoned.