bark-up-the-wrong-tree
/bɑːk ʌp ðə rɒŋ triː/ IELTSAcademic
idiom
If you are barking up the wrong tree, you are trying the wrong way to solve a problem, or blaming the wrong person. It means your idea, guess, or accusation is not correct.
- I think you're barking up the wrong tree.
- You're barking up the wrong tree if you blame me.
- The police were barking up the wrong tree.
Adinary Nuance
Barking up the wrong tree is stronger and more vivid than simply saying 'wrong' or 'mistaken'. Use it when someone has made a bad guess, blamed the wrong person, or chosen the wrong approach. It often sounds a little informal, so it fits speech and relaxed writing better than formal reports.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- đi sai hướng
- Spanish
- equivocarse de camino
- Chinese
- 找错方向
- Japanese
- 見当違い
- Korean
- 엉뚱한 데
Etymology
This idiom comes from hunting dogs. A dog might bark at the base of the wrong tree when chasing prey. It appeared in English in the 1800s.
Common phrases
barking up the wrong treeyou're barking up the wrong treehave you been barking up the wrong tree?
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is 'barking up the wrong tree' formal or informal?
- It is mostly informal. People use it in conversation, emails, and articles, but less in formal reports.
- Can I use it when someone blames the wrong person?
- Yes. That is a very common use of the idiom.
- What is the difference between 'wrong' and 'barking up the wrong tree'?
- 'Wrong' is general. 'Barking up the wrong tree' means the person's idea, guess, or blame is wrongly directed.