Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

disrespect

American  
[dis-ri-spekt] / ˌdɪs rɪˈspɛkt /

noun

  1. lack of respect; discourtesy; rudeness.

    Synonyms:
    irreverence, disregard, contempt

verb (used with object)

  1. to regard or treat without respect; regard or treat with contempt or rudeness.

disrespect British  
/ ˌdɪsrɪˈspɛkt /

noun

  1. contempt; rudeness

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (tr) to show lack of respect for

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of disrespect

First recorded in 1605–15; dis- 1 + respect

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.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing disrespect

Common Senses: Spec, Spect, Spic ("Look")

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Dear Martin

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

"Harbor Me" by Jacqueline Woodson

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!

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.

Controversial gaming streamer Herschel 'Guy' Beahm, known online as Dr Disrespect, has said he is able to start making money from YouTube again after being dropped in 2024.

From BBC • Jan. 31, 2025

Disrespect her, and she’ll twist you up in her frigid uncaring.

From Salon • Feb. 19, 2024

Disrespect — who reportedly caught heat for livestreaming inside a bathroom while attending video game showcase E3 in 2019 — previously uninstalled multiple “Call of Duty” games in late 2022.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2023

Disrespect guarantees full-time employment for personal finance journalists, too.

From New York Times • Sep. 3, 2022

However, they take care not to appear in this domestic Gala before the Emperor and Empress, because it would be reckon'd a Disrespect to them.

From The Memoirs of Charles-Lewis, Baron de Pollnitz, Volume I Being the Observations He Made in His Late Travels from Prussia thro' Germany, Italy, France, Flanders, Holland, England, &C. in Letters to His Friend. Discovering Not Only the Present State of the Chief Cities and Towns; but the Characters of the Principal Persons at the Several Courts. by P?llnitz, Karl Ludwig von

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.