Antonyms for construe


Grammar : Verb
Spell : verb kuh n-stroo or, esp. British, kon-stroo; noun kon-stroo
Phonetic Transcription : verb kənˈstru or, esp. British, ˈkɒn stru; noun ˈkɒn stru


Definition of construe

Origin :
  • late 14c., from Late Latin construere "to relate grammatically," in classical Latin "to build up, pile together" (see construction); also see construct (v.), which is a later acquisition of the same word. Related: Construed; construing; construal.
  • verb deduce; explain
Example sentences :
  • But you must not, my dearest friend, construe common gratitude into love.
  • Extract from : « Clarissa, Volume 1 (of 9) » by Samuel Richardson
  • And even if he had, we must not construe any trifling peculiarity into madness.
  • Extract from : « Barnaby Rudge » by Charles Dickens
  • But however you construe the hierograph, the door must be demolished before you get out.
  • Extract from : « The Paliser case » by Edgar Saltus
  • There—I believe I can construe that passage as well as Porson.
  • Extract from : « Letters of Edward FitzGerald » by Edward FitzGerald
  • She has been used to her father's abstraction, and does not construe it into any slight.
  • Extract from : « Floyd Grandon's Honor » by Amanda Minnie Douglas
  • But in every case the early practice did not construe this to include the Territories.
  • Extract from : « Problems of Expansion » by Whitelaw Reid
  • In so far as her mind could construe, she acknowledged benefits received.
  • Extract from : « Sister Carrie » by Theodore Dreiser
  • Any attempt to construe the purposes of Deity must be liable to the same misapplication.
  • Extract from : « Western Characters » by J. L. McConnel
  • The April sun seemed to stir in him a vague feeling that he could not construe.
  • Extract from : « Strictly Business » by O. Henry
  • If you consider them to be so, you may construe my words in that way.
  • Extract from : « The Sins of Sverac Bablon » by Sax Rohmer

Synonyms for construe

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019