wrong 
To put in the wrong, to cause to appear wrong or in 
error ; give a wrong character to or representation of : as, 
your remarks put me, or my sentiments, in the icrong. 
=Syn. 1 and 2. Sin, Iniquity, etc. See crime. 
wrong (rong), «rfc. [< inong, o.] In a wroug 
manner; not rightly; erroneously; incoiTeetly; 
amiss; ill. 
Tlie right divine of Icings to govern xorong. 
Pope, Dunciad, iv. 1S8. 
To go wrong. See go. 
Your strong possession much more than your riglit, 
Or else it must go wrong with you and me. 
Shah., K. John, i. 1. 41. 
wrong (rong), V. t. [< wrong, «.] 1. To Jo 
wrong to; treat unfairly, unjustly, or harm- 
fully; do or say something injurious or offen- 
sive to; Injure; harm; oppress; offend. 
YoQ wrong me, sir, thus still to haunt my house. 
Shak., M. W. of W., iii. 4. 73. 
2. To be the cause of wrong or harm to ; affect 
injtrriously ; be hurtful to; in an old nautical 
use, to take the wind from the sails of, as a 
ship in line with another to windward. 
All authoritie being dissolved, want of government did 
more wrong their proceedings than all other crosses what- 
soever. Quoted in Capt. John Smith's Works, II. 207. 
It [a play] is good, though wronged by my over great 
expectations, as all things else are. Pepys, Diary, I. 149. 
To use the seaman's phrase, we were very much wronged 
by the ship that hat) us in chase. 
SnwUett, Roderick Random, Ixv. 
3. To be iu the wrong in regard to; view or 
consider wrongly ; give an erroneous seeming 
to; put in the wrong, or in a false light. 
Thy creatures wrong thee, O thou sov'reign Good ! 
Thou art not loved because not understood. 
Cowper, Happy Solitude — Unhappy Men (trans.). 
Thy friendship thus thy judgment wronging 
With praises not to me belonging. 
Scott, .Marniion, iii.. Int. 
wrong-doer (rong'dij'er), H. 1. One who does 
wrong, or commits wrongful or rcpreliensible 
acts ; any offender against the moral law. 
Especially when we see the wrong-doer prosperous do 
we feel as if the injustice of fortune ought to he redressed. 
Channing, Perfect Life, p. 10. 
2. In lair, one who commits a tort or trespass ; 
a tort-feaser. 
wrong-doing (rong'do'ing), n. The doing of 
wrong; behavior the opposite of what is right ; 
blameworthy action in general. 
wronget, wrbngent. Middle English forms of 
irniuii. 
wrongeoust, ". An old spelling of wrongous. 
wronger (r6ng'^r), «. [<. wrong -(- -crl.] One 
who inflicts wrong or harm ; aninjurer; amis- 
user. 
Hold, shepherd, hold ! learn not to be a wronger 
Of your word. Fletcher, Faithful .Shepherdess, iv. 3. 
Caitiffs and wrongen of the world. Tennyson, Geraint. 
wrongful (rong'fiil), «. [< ME. wrongful; < 
wrong, »., -1- -/«/.] Full of or characterized by 
wrong; injurious ; unjust ; unfair: as, a mj/oh;/- 
ful taking of property. 
I am so far from granting thy request 
That I despise thee for thy wrong/ul suit. 
Shak.,T. U. of V., Iv. 2. 102. 
= Syn. See wrong, a. 
wrongfully (rong'ful-i). ndr. In a wrong man- 
ner; in a manner contrary to the moral law or 
to justice ; unjustly : as, to accuse one wroug- 
fully; to suffer wrongfulli/. 
Accusing the Lady Hero wrongfully. 
Shak., Much Ado, Iv. 2. .51. 
wrongfulness (rong'ful-nes), n. The quality 
of being wrong or wrongful ; injustice. 
Wronghead (rong'hed), n. and ». [< wrong + 
luad.] I. n. Same as irronghcadcrl. [Kare.] 
This jealous, waspish, sprung-head, rhyming race. 
Pope, Imit. of Horace, II. ii. 148. 
n. «. A wrongiieaded person. [Rare.] 
wrongheaded (r<ing'hed"ed), n. [< wronghead 
+ -ed'^.'\ Cliaracterize<l by or due to perver- 
sity of the judgment ; obstinately opinionated; 
misguided; stubborn. 
A wrrmgfteaded distrust of England. 
Bp. Berkeley, Querist, | 436. 
Wrongheadedly (r6ng'hed"ed-li), adr. In a 
wrongheaded manner; obstinately; perversely. 
He (Johnson) . . . then rose to be unfler the care of Mr. 
Hunter, the hea^l-master, who, according to his account, 
waa very severe, and lerongheadedlg severe. 
Boswell, Johnston, an. 1711*. 
wrongheadedness (r6ng'hed"ed-nes), n. The 
state or character of being wrongheaded; per- 
versity of judgment. 
There U no end of his misfortunes and wrongheaded neitit .' 
Walpoie, Letters, II. ■>m. 
6995 
wronghearted (rong'har'ted), a. Wrong in 
heart or sensibility ; not right or just in feeling. 
wronglieartedness(r6ng'hiir"ted-nes), «. The 
state or character of being wrongliearted ; per- 
versity of feeling. 
Wrong-headedness may be as fatal now as wrong-heart- 
edness. The Century, XXIX. 910. 
wrongless (rong'les), a. [< wrong, n., + -less.'] 
Void of wrong. [Rare.] 
wronglessly (rong'les-li), adr. Without wroug 
or harm; harmlessly. [Rare.] 
He was . . . honourably courteous, and wronglessly 
valiant. Sir P. Sidney, Arcadia, i. 
wrongly (rong'li), adr. [< ME. wrongliche; < 
wrong + -ly^.} In a wrong or erroneous man- 
ner; unjustly; mistakenly. 
Thou . . . wouldst not play false, 
And yet wouldst icrongly win. 
Shak., Macbeth, i. 5. 23. 
wrongminded (r6ng'min"ded), o. Having a 
mind wrongly inclined; entertaining erroneous 
or distorted views. 
wrongness (rong'nes), «. [< ME. wrongnesse ; 
< wrong, n., + -ness.'] If. Crookedness; wry- 
ness; unevenness. Prompt. Parr., -^.o'di. — 2. 
The state or condition of being wrong or erro- 
neous ; heinousness ; faultiness. 
The best have great wrongnesses within themselves, 
which they complain of, and endeavour to amend. 
Butler, Analogy of Religion. (Latham.) 
The wrongness of murder is known by a moral intuition. 
//. Spencer, Data of Ethics, § 14. 
wrongous (rong'us), a. [Aloo wrongcous; < 
JIE. wrongou.i, for earlier wrongwis, wrangwis 
(= Sw. vrdngvis), wrong, iniquitous; < wrong + 
wi.sc^. Cf. righteous.'] If. Wrongful; unjust; 
improper. 
I will not father my bairn on you, 
Nor on no icrongoujt man. 
ChUde Kyc( (t-'hilds Ballads, II. 77). 
2. In .S'cote <(((r, not right ; unjust; Illegal: as, 
wrongous imprisonment. 
Every wrong must be judged by the first violent and 
wrongous ground whereupon it proceeds. 
James I., To Bacon, Aug. 25, 1617. 
wrongOUSlyt (rong'us-li ),nrfi'. [Also wrongeous- 
h/ : < ME. wrongouslg : < wrongous + -ly^.i Un- 
justly; wrongfully; unfairly. 
Here haue we done and shewid curtessy, 
Where to urongously uillanous ye dot*. 
To thys noble daniicel and lady. 
Rom. 0/ J'artenay (E. E. T. ».), 1. 1867. 
Wronski's theorem. See theorem. 
wroott, ''• An old spelling of root'^. 
wrott. An (dd spelling of wriite^. 
wrote' (rot). Preterit and obsolete or vulgar 
l)ast participle of write. 
wrote-t, r. A Middle English form of root". 
Right as a soughe leroteth in everich ordure, so uroteth 
hire beautee in the stynkyng ordure of syiui. 
Chaucer, Parson's Tale. 
'wroth (roth), a. [< ME. wroth, wrooth, < AS. 
wrath, angry (= OS. wrelh = D. wreed, cruel, 
= Icel. reithr = Sw. Dan. rred, angry); prob. 
orig. 'twisted,' perverse (= MHO. reit, reid, 
curled, t'wisted), < writhan, pret. wrath, t'wist, 
writhe : .see tcrJ//K'. Hence ult. «vy(^/i, «.] E.x- 
cited by wrath; wrathful: indignant; angry: 
rarel)' used attributively. 
Revel ami trouthc, as In a low degree. 
They been ful wrothe al day, as men may see. 
Chaucer, Cook's Tale, 1. 34. 
In euery thyng thanne was he grevid soore. 
And more wrother thainie he was before. 
Uenerydes (E. E. T. S.), 1. 1568. 
Sir Aldingar was urothe in his mind. 
With her hee was never content. 
Sir Aldingar (Child's Ballads, III. 244). 
Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. 
Gen. iv. 5. 
'Wrotht (roth), r. i. [ME. u-rothen, \a,r. of wrath- 
en : see wrath, v.] To become angry; be wratli- 
ful; rage. 
Again Meluslne urothed he ful sore. 
That to hir say<l moch reprcf and velony. 
Itom. 0/ Partenay (E. E. T. S.), 1. 1264. 
wrothful (rotli'ful), a. An erroneous form for 
irrathj'id. 
The knight, yet wroth.fuU for his late disgrace, 
Fiercely advaunst his valorous right arme. 
Spenser, F. Q., II. xi. :u. 
■wrothlyt (roth'li), adr. [< ME. wrothli : < wroth 
+ -/.I/2.] Wrathfully ; angrily. 
Whan willlain saw hire wepe, wrotldi he seide, 
"Forseynt niary lone, nnidame, why nnike ye this sorwe'/" 
Waliam of Palerne (E. E. T. S.), 1. mn:i. 
■wrought (rat), /). ((. \ Pp. of wort.] Worked, 
as distinguished from rough: noting masonry, 
carpentry, etc. 
■wryly 
■wrought-iron (rat'i'ern), u. Iron that is or 
may oe wrought into form by forging or roll- 
ing, and that is capable of being welded; malle- 
able iron. See iron. 
■wrung (rung). Preterit and past participle of 
wring. 
wryl (ri), r. ; pret. and pp. wried, ppr. wrying. 
[< ME. wrieii, wrycn, < AS. wrigian, drive, tend, 
turn, bend. Cf. wriclc, wrig, wriggle. Hence 
H'cyi, a., awry.] I. intran.s. 1. To turn; bend; 
wind ; twist or twine about, with or without 
change of place. 
How well a certain urging I had of my neck became me. 
Sir P. Sidney, Arcadia, ii. 
The first with divers crooks and turnings u-ries. 
P. Fletcher, Purple Island, v. 
2. To swerve or go obliquely ; go awry or 
astray; deviate from the right coiu'se, physi- 
cally or morally. 
And she sproong as a colt doth in the trave. 
And with her heed she icryed faste awey. 
Chaucer, Miller's Tale, 1. 97. 
No manere mede shulde make him wrye, 
ffor to trien a trouthe be-twynne two sidis. 
Richard the Redeless, ii. 84. 
How many 
. . . murder wives much better than themselves 
For wrying but a little I Sttak., Cymbeline, v. 1. 5. 
II. trans. 1. To turn; twist aside. 
Soone tbei can ther hedys a-way sort/e. 
And to faire speche lightly ther erys close. 
Political Poems, etc. (ed. Furnivall), p. 63. 
2. To give a twist to ; make wry ; writhe ; 
wring. 
Using their wryed countenances, instead of a vice, to 
turn the good aspects of all that shall sit near them. 
B. Jonson, Case is Altered, ii. 4. 
Guests by hundreds — not one caring 
If the dear host's neck were nried. 
Browning, In a Gondola. 
3. Figuratively, to pervert; alter. 
They have wrested and wryed his [Christ's] doctrine, and 
like a rule of lead have applied it to men's manners. 
Sir T. More, I'topia (tr. by Robinson), i. 
Ill slant eyes interpret the straight sun, 
But in their scope its white is wri^d to black. 
Sudnburne, At Eleusls. 
[Obsolete or archaic in all tises.] 
■wryi (ri), a. and n. [< wn/l, v. Cf. awry.] I. 
((. 1. Abnormally bent or turned to one side ; 
in a state of contortion ; twisted ; distorted ; 
askew. 
With fair black eyes and hair and a ury nose. 
B. Junson, tr. of Horace's Art of Poetry. 
He calls them [the clergy] the Saints with Screw'd Faces 
and uTy Mouths. 
Jeremy Collier, Short View (ed. 1698), p. 232. 
2. Crooked ; bent ; not straight. [Rare.] 
Losing himself in many a wry meander. 
W. Browne, Britannia's Pastorals, i. 2. 
3. Devious in course orpurpose; divaricating; 
aberrant; misdir(>eted. 
He 's one I would not have a ury thought darted against, 
willingly. B. Jonson, Cynthia's Revels, ii. 1. 
Every uri/ step by which he imagines himself to have 
declined from the path of duty atfrights bim when he re- 
flects on it. Bp. Atterlmry, Sermons, II. xv. 
To make awry faceormouth, to manifest disgust, dis- 
pleasure, pain, or the like, by distorting or puckering up 
the face or mouth. 
You seem resolved to do credit to our mystery, and die 
like a man, without making itry mouths. 
Scott. Quentin Durward, xxxiv. 
II. «. A twisting about, or out of shape or 
course ; distortion ; a distorting effect. [Rare 
or prov. Eng.] 
He [the loach] looks so innocent, yon make full sure to 
prog him well. In spite of the ury of the water. 
R. D. Blackmore, Lorna Doone, vii. 
■wry-t, '■■ t. [< ME. wryen, wrien, wreon, < AS. 
wreon, *irrihan, ONorth. wria (pp. wrigen), cov- 
er, clothe. Cf. rig-.] To cover; clothe; cover 
up; cloak ; hide. 
Wry [var. ure\ the gleed, and hotter is the fyr. 
Chaucer, Good Women, I. 73.'). 
But of his hondwerk wolde he gete 
Clothes to uryne hym, and his mete, 
Rom. Hi the Ruse, 1. 6684. 
With flrmde gravel let diligence hem urie. 
And X.X-X dayea under that hem kepe. 
Palla'dius, Husbondrie (E. E. T. S.), p. 216. 
Wrybill (ri'bil), ». A kind of plover, Jh»W/i/«- 
ehus frontalis, of New Zealand, having the bill 
bent sidewise. See second cut under plover. 
■wry-billed (li'liild), a. Having the bill awry 
or bent sidewise: as, the irry-hilled \t\o\-vr. See 
second cut under plorer. 
■wryly (ri'H), adr. [< (r/i/l -I- -ly-.] In a wry, 
distorted, or awkward manner. 
