disbelieve

American  

[dis-bi-leev] / ˌdɪs bɪˈliv /

verb (used with object)

disbelieved, disbelieving

1. to have no belief in; refuse or reject belief in.

   to disbelieve reports of UFO sightings.

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verb (used without object)

disbelieved, disbelieving

1. to refuse or reject belief; have no belief.

disbelieve British  

/ ˌdɪsbɪˈliːv /

verb

1. (tr) to reject as false or lying; refuse to accept as true or truthful

2. to have no faith (in)

   disbelieve in God

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Other Word Forms

• disbeliever noun
• disbelieving adjective
• disbelievingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of disbelieve

First recorded in 1635–45; dis- ¹ + believe

Example Sentences

The other disbelieving intellectuals continued to write and publish but seemed to make less news by their pronouncements.

From The Wall Street Journal

When he uttered that lie on Feb. 28, 2020, he set the stage for his followers to reject scientific recommendations and health guidelines, including vaccines, and to disbelieve the science going forward.

From Salon

This may qualify as the most misunderstood or disbelieved fact in modern-day America: No matter what cable TV and social media may tell you, crime is a lot lower now than in decades past.

From Salon

"That you can drop a person in the sea with a life jacket in a war zone was something people automatically chose to disbelieve," Mr Gonsalves said.

From BBC

From across the coffee table, their eyes widened, and their mouths skewed into disbelieving shapes.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• repudiate