見当外(けんとうはず)れ

Composed of 見当(けんとう) (guess/estimate) + 外(はず)れ (miss/off-target). Functions both as a noun and as a na-adjective modifier (見当外(けんとうはず)れな). The word 見当(けんとう) itself comes from 見(み)当(あ)て (aim/sight), so 見当外(けんとうはず)れ literally means "having missed one's aim."

Common collocations

• 見当外(けんとうはず)れな答(こた)え: an off-the-mark answer
• 見当外(けんとうはず)れな批判(ひはん): misguided criticism
• まったくの見当外(けんとうはず)れ: completely off the mark
• 見当外(けんとうはず)れもいいところだ: couldn't be more wrong

Similar words

• 的外(まとはず)れ: off the mark; irrelevant — very close synonym; 的(まと) (target) emphasizes missing the point even more directly
• 見当違(けんとうちが)い: mistaken; wrong guess — essentially the same meaning with 違(ちが)い instead of 外(はず)れ
• 筋違(すじちが)い: misdirected; barking up the wrong tree — the logic or reasoning itself is on the wrong track