misapply

• POS: Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: mis=ap=ply

CIDE DICTIONARY

misapply, v. t. 

 To apply wrongly; to use for a wrong purpose; as, to misapply a name or title; to misapply public money.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

misapply, v.tr. (-ies, -ied) apply (esp. funds) wrongly.

Derivative

misapplication n.

THESAURUS

misapply

abuse, argue insincerely, befoul, contort, convert, debase, defalcate, defile, desecrate, distort, divert, do amiss, embezzle, foul, garble, get one wrong, get wrong, gloss, maladminister, misapprehend, misappropriate, miscall, miscite, misconceive, misconduct, misconstrue, miscount, misdeal, misdeem, misdirect, misemploy, misexplain, misexplicate, misexpound, misfield, mishandle, misinterpret, misjudge, mismanage, misplay, misprint, misquote, misread, misrender, misreport, misspell, mistake, mistranslate, misunderstand, misuse, paralogize, peculate, pervert, pilfer, pollute, profane, prostitute, rationalize, reason ill, squeeze, strain the sense, torture, twist the words, violate, wrench

ROGET THESAURUS

misapply

Misuse

VB misuse, misemploy, misapply, misappropriate, desecrate, abuse, profane, prostitute: waste, overtask, overtax, overwork: squander, cut blocks with a razor, employ a steam engine to crack a nut, catch at a straw.

Unskillfulness

VB be unskillful, not see an inch beyond one's nose, blunder, bungle, boggle, fumble, botch, bitch, flounder, stumble, trip, hobble, put one's foot in it, make a mess of, make hash of, make sad work of, overshoot the mark, play tricks with, play Puck, mismanage, misconduct, misdirect, misapply, missend, stultify oneself, make a fool of oneself, commit oneself, act foolishly, play the fool, put oneself out of court, lose control, lose control of oneself, lose one's head, lose one's cunning, begin at the wrong end, do things by halves, make two bites of a cherry, play at cross purposes, strain at a gnat and swallow a camel, put the cart before the horse, lock the stable door when the horse is stolen, not know what one is about, not know one's own interest, not know on which side one's bread is buttered, stand in one's own light, quarrel with one's bread and butter, throw a stone in one's own garden, kill the goose which lays the golden eggs, pay dear for one's whistle, cut one's own throat, bum one's fingers, knock one's head against a stone wall, beat one's head against a stone wall, fall into a trap, catch a Tartar, bring the house about one's ears, have too many eggs in one basket (imprudent), have too many irons in the fire, mistake, take the shadow for the substance, bark up the wrong tree, be in the wrong box, aim at a pigeon and kill a crow, take the wrong pig by the tail, get the wrong pig by the tail, get the wrong sow by the ear, get the dirty end of the stick, put the saddle on the wrong horse, put a square peg into a round hole, put new wine into old bottles, cut blocks with a razor, hold a farthing candle to the sun, fight with a shadow, grasp at a shadow, catch at straws, lean on a broken reed, reckon without one's host, pursue a wild goose chase, go on a fool's goose chase, sleeveless errand, go further and fare worse, lose one's way, miss one's way, fail.

Misinterpretation

VB misinterpret, misapprehend, misunderstand, misconceive, misspell, mistranslate, misconstrue, misapply, mistake, misrepresent, pervert, explain wrongly, misstate, garble, distort, detort, travesty, play upon words, stretch the sense, strain the sense, stretch the meaning, strain the meaning, wrest the sense, wrest the meaning, explain away, put a bad construction on, put a false construction on, give a false coloring, be at cross purposes, play at cross purposes.