1.
wrong guess; off the mark; barking up the wrong tree
A mistaken assumption, guess, or direction of thinking. Indicates that someone's understanding or approach is fundamentally misguided.
それは見当違いだ。
That's off the mark.
見当違いの方向に努力していた。
I was putting effort in the wrong direction.
犯人を見当違いの人物だと思い込んで捜査を進めていた。
They had been proceeding with the investigation thinking the culprit was the wrong person.
見当違い describes a guess, opinion, or approach that is fundamentally off the mark — pointed in the wrong direction entirely.
USAGE:
- Functions as a noun and as a な-adjective.
- The component 見当 means 'estimate' or 'rough guess,' so the literal idea is 'guessing in the wrong direction.'
- Frequently used to dismiss criticism or opinions that miss the actual point.
PREDICATE VS. MODIFIER:
- Modifier: 見当違いな意見 (a misguided opinion), 見当違いな批判 (misdirected criticism), 見当違いな方向 (the wrong direction)
- Predicate: その推測は見当違いだ (that guess is off the mark)
- Idiomatic emphasis: 見当違いも甚だしい (utterly wrong, completely missing the point)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 的外れ: missing the target (very close synonym).
- 勘違い: misunderstanding (the most common, everyday word for ordinary mix-ups).
- 筋違い: out of line, illogical (similar but emphasizes faulty reasoning).