misdiagnose

verb

mis·​di·​ag·​nose ˌmis-ˈdī-ig-ˌnōs How to pronounce misdiagnose (audio)
-ˌnōz,
ˌdī-ig-ˈnōs,
-ˈnōz,
-əg-
misdiagnosed; misdiagnosing

transitive verb

: to diagnose (someone or something) incorrectly
… babesiosis is often missed or misdiagnosed as malaria or flu.Linda Marsa
The researchers added that children with this disease are often misdiagnosed and thus inappropriately treated …Jane E. Brody

Examples of misdiagnose in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Just because people who cover the sport brutally misdiagnosed them is no reason to punish them. The Athletic College Football, The Athletic, 8 Dec. 2024 Sexism within health systems, where women’s symptoms are often dismissed and misdiagnosed. Anna Byrne, WIRED, 22 Oct. 2024 Heart disease, for instance, is the leading cause of death in women, yet women are seven times more likely to be misdiagnosed and sent home from the ER during a heart attack. Dr. Elizabeth Poynor, TIME, 3 Oct. 2024 Another study found that those same extraneous factors led emergency room doctors to misdiagnose accidental injuries as abuse in a staggering 83 percent of cases. Jeff Kukucka, Scientific American, 26 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for misdiagnose 

Word History

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of misdiagnose was in 1883

Dictionary Entries Near misdiagnose

Cite this Entry

“Misdiagnose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misdiagnose. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

misdiagnose

transitive verb
mis·​di·​ag·​nose (ˈ)mis-ˈdī-ig-ˌnōs, -ˌnōz How to pronounce misdiagnose (audio)
misdiagnosed; misdiagnosing
: to diagnose incorrectly

More from Merriam-Webster on misdiagnose

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