disrespect
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
-
disrespects,
present (3rd person singular)
-
disrespected,
past participle, past
-
disrespecting
present participle
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
disrespectsimple
-
disrespectssimple
-
have disrespectedperfect
-
has disrespectedperfect
-
am disrespectingprogressive
-
are disrespectingprogressive
-
is disrespectingprogressive
-
have been disrespectingperfect progressive
-
has been disrespectingperfect progressive
Past
-
disrespectedsimple
-
had disrespectedperfect
-
was disrespectingprogressive
-
were disrespectingprogressive
-
had been disrespectingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of disrespect
Explanation
To disrespect someone is to act in an insulting way toward them. When you disrespect people, you think very little of them. Disrespect is all about not showing respect. Actually, it's about showing the opposite of respect, by acting rude, impolite, and offensive. Talking back to your teacher is showing disrespect for her authority. Not giving up your seat to an elderly person is an act of disrespect. So is ignoring the customs and culture in a foreign country. The slang abbreviation dis comes from disrespect and means the same thing.
Vocabulary lists containing disrespect
Common Senses: Spec, Spect, Spic ("Look")
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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:
“It shows absolute disrespect for the court, for the jury, for this entire process,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
"Systematic maintenance efforts are being carried out" to prevent "any disrespect toward the commemorative statues", and to ensure "future generations can continue to study Myanmar's historical heritage in a correct and appropriate manner", she added.
From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026
“They don’t roll their eyes, they can’t talk back, they can be honest and forthright but they don’t disrespect their parents.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
If we treat the women in our lives with disrespect and deceit, we aren’t exactly the picture of a feminist ally.
From Slate ● Jun. 2, 2026
“I didn't mean to disrespect you,” she says.
From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi
To rely on acquitted conduct disrespects the jury’s role and undermines public faith in our criminal-justice system.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2025
In a Facebook post, the Museum said these images were a "dangerous distortion" which "disrespects victims and harasses their memory".
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2025
And the more Sue disrespects the week on/week off balance, the more Elisabeth will suffer varicose veins, thinning, graying hair, sagging breasts, and other indignities of aging.
From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2024
“He has disgraced his country and disrespects everyone around him because he is a sad individual who is mad about how his miserable life has turned out.”
From Washington Times ● Dec. 25, 2023
“You require no instruction in this matter ... to sit before guests ... it disrespects them and the house.”
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
It does not care whether it was hidden or disrespected, whether you craved it or merely added it, whether the broccoli arrived under a glossy blanket of cheese.
From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026
Iglesias, 82, called the accusations "absolutely false", saying he had never "abused, coerced, or disrespected any woman".
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
“It’s disappointing in that regard, to feel disrespected a little bit,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
One family member told me this left them feeling "utterly disrespected that he refused to look me in the eyes".
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
I’ve had this happen to me, and I always feel a bit like I’m being disrespected.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
That line has stayed with me just as stubbornly as the one about disrespecting broccoli.
From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026
In doing so, he will be disrespecting the wishes of his wife.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 17, 2025
When addressing someone they look down on or are disrespecting, the Yautja use wul, while someone they respect would be addressed as dau.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2025
Still, the first “Limitless” had its “Goop”-y moments, such as an indigenous ceremony that was criticized for allegedly disrespecting a sacred site.
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2025
“That was not a revolution, Kasim. They were disrespecting me, and Raquel told me that she wanted to be with you,” I say.
From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi
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.
