disapprove
Americanverb (used with object)
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disapproves,
present (3rd person singular)
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disapproved,
past participle, past
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disapproving
present participle
verb (used without object)
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disapproves,
present (3rd person singular)
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disapproved,
past participle, past
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disapproving
present participle
verb
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to consider wrong, bad, etc
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(tr) to withhold approval from
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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disapprovesimple
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disapprovessimple
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have disapprovedperfect
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has disapprovedperfect
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am disapprovingprogressive
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are disapprovingprogressive
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is disapprovingprogressive
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have been disapprovingperfect progressive
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has been disapprovingperfect progressive
Past
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disapprovedsimple
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had disapprovedperfect
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was disapprovingprogressive
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were disapprovingprogressive
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had been disapprovingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of disapprove
Explanation
To disapprove is to object to something, or frown on it. Your parents, worried about head injuries, might disapprove of your joining the football team. You can say that you disapprove of violence in movies and video games, or that you disapprove of censorship of any kind. Almost everyone disapproves of things like drunk driving or being cruel to animals. In all of these examples, to disapprove is to believe something is wrong or bad. Originally, in the 15th century, the word meant "disprove," but by the mid-1600s the meaning shifted to "the reverse of approve."
Vocabulary lists containing disapprove
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
She knew her older brother would disapprove so she tried to reduce the risk of being recognised by wearing a face covering.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
Eighty-seven percent of Peruvians disapprove of the legislature, according to an Ipsos poll.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
It’s not as if voters can go to the voting booth and show that they disapprove of this.
From Slate ● May 7, 2026
According to Gallup, as of September 2025, 42% of respondents approve, 52% disapprove and 6% have no opinion of the Supreme Court.
From Salon ● Apr. 25, 2026
He has told his parents he is going to marry Marie, and they strongly disapprove.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
Gladys’ marriage is the product of a financial arrangement brokered by Bertha, of which George disapproves.
From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2025
Mr Yang hastened to add, however, that he disapproves of the ban on dog meat farming.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2025
The IOC typically disapproves of any public campaigning for the presidency.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 10, 2024
As for Congress, if it disapproves of a president’s use of the act, its only recourse is to pass a law ending the deployment.
From Slate ● Nov. 17, 2023
Sometimes a group of countries disapproves of what another country is doing, and they refuse to trade or do business with that country until the situation improves.
From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez
Even so, Zaslav’s package failed to win shareholder support; 84% of those who voted in June disapproved, following a similar rejection a year before.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
In the survey, 60% of respondents disapproved of the military strikes on Iran, while 35% approved.
From BBC ● Apr. 1, 2026
A Pew Research poll from November showed that 70 percent of Latinos disapproved of his performance.
From Barron's ● Feb. 10, 2026
A Wall Street Journal poll found 58% of voters under 30 disapproved of the job Trump is doing as president.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 31, 2026
Rashid had heard those words all his life, typically after he’d done something his parents disapproved of.
From "Time Bomb" by Joelle Charbonneau
Mr. Ficarra’s contribution to a standard character includes a silent, disapproving commentary on the sometimes inane antics of his boss.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
Worryingly for Lula, the Datafolha poll showed 51 percent of voters disapproving of his performance.
From Barron's ● Apr. 24, 2026
They can issue a resolution disapproving of the president’s conduct.
From Slate ● Mar. 2, 2026
What we call "fussiness" with a disapproving tone, is often anxiety and sensitivity, says consultant counselling psychologist Dr Ritika Suk Birah.
From BBC ● Dec. 21, 2025
He thought of Father Olufemi’s eyes, cold and disapproving, then Kamau’s, full of disappointment and shame.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
