misdirection — the act of guiding someone's attention or actions in the wrong direction, often to deceive or distract them
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: the act of guiding someone's attention or actions in the wrong direction, often to deceive or distract them
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˌmɪsdɪˈrekʃən/
Example Sentences
- The magician's misdirection was so smooth that nobody noticed him swap the cards.
- My cat is a master of misdirection—she knocks something over just to distract me from her stealing food.
- The politician used misdirection to avoid answering the reporter's real question.
misdirection
NOUN[/ˌmɪsdɪˈrekʃən/]
the act of guiding someone's attention or actions in the wrong direction, often to deceive or distract them
The magician's misdirection makes the audience miss the coin swap entirely.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From mis- (wrong, bad) + direction, ultimately from Latin dirigere meaning 'to guide straight'; misdirection literally means guiding someone the wrong way.
Breakdown
mis- (wrongly) + direct- (to guide) + -ion (noun suffix)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The magician's misdirection was so smooth that nobody noticed him swap the cards.”
“My cat is a master of misdirection—she knocks something over just to distract me from her stealing food.”
“The politician used misdirection to avoid answering the reporter's real question.”
“He tried misdirection during the exam by asking the teacher a random question, but she saw right through it.”
📚Related Words
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