disagree
Americanverb (used without object)
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to fail to agree; differ.
The conclusions disagree with the facts. The theories disagree in their basic premises.
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to differ in opinion; dissent.
Three of the judges disagreed with the verdict.
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to quarrel.
They disagreed violently and parted company.
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to cause physical discomfort or ill effect (usually followed bywith ).
The oysters disagreed with her. Cold weather disagrees with me.
verb
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to dissent in opinion (from another person) or dispute (about an idea, fact, etc)
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to fail to correspond; conflict
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to be unacceptable (to) or unfavourable (for); be incompatible (with)
curry disagrees with me
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to be opposed (to) in principle
Usage
What is a basic definition of disagree? Disagree means to not agree or to differ. Disagree can also mean to have different opinions or to cause physical discomfort. If two things disagree, they don’t match and most likely clash with each other. For example, the belief that pigs are able to fly disagrees with all scientific knowledge of pigs. The noun form of disagree is disagreement.
- Real-life examples: Countries often have plans that disagree with other countries’ plans. Scientists and historians often make discoveries that disagree with earlier information.
- Used in a sentence: When you measure a board twice and the measurements disagree, you should measure the board again.
- Real-life examples: People often angrily disagree with each other on social media. Political parties often disagree on many social issues. You may disagree with your friends on what the best flavor of ice cream is.
- Used in a sentence: My brother thinks green is the best color, but I disagree and think blue is the best.
- Real-life examples: If you have lactose intolerance, milk will disagree with you and will cause stomach aches and other problems if you drink it. Rotten food will probably disagree with you and cause food poisoning or vomiting.
- Used in a sentence: I try to stay inside in the winter because cold weather really disagrees with me.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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disagreesimple
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disagreessimple
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have disagreedperfect
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has disagreedperfect
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am disagreeingprogressive
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are disagreeingprogressive
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is disagreeingprogressive
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have been disagreeingperfect progressive
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has been disagreeingperfect progressive
Past
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disagreedsimple
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had disagreedperfect
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was disagreeingprogressive
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were disagreeingprogressive
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had been disagreeingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of disagree
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Anglo-French, Middle French desagreer; equivalent to dis- 1 + agree
Explanation
When two people disagree, they have completely different opinions about something. You might disagree with your sister about whether chocolate or vanilla ice cream is the most delicious. Use the verb disagree to talk about what happens when you have a conflict or a difference of thought about something with another person. People disagree about politics, food, sports, and movies — there is no subject that won't cause most people to find a way to disagree. The word comes from combining the Old French agreer, "to receive with favor or take pleasure in" with the Latin prefix dis, which here means "do the opposite of."
Vocabulary lists containing disagree
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 4
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The Language of Standardized Tests, List 3
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The New SAT: The Language of the Test
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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:
State regulators and environmental groups disagree on the definition of the chemicals, making it difficult to find a consensus on regulations or health risks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
Although they may disagree, he said, he always expected his opponents to be “fair and above board.”
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
The brothers staunchly disagree with the maxim that puns are the lowest form of humor, and their works are almost universally branded with gratingly unfunny names.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
But how can Americans who disagree with the court move new ideas about the Constitution from the margins to the center?
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026
I pause, waiting for my parents to disagree with me, but they only exchange sad glances.
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
Amazon said it disagrees with the report’s conclusions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
If your father disagrees with renovations, who gets the final say?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
She often disagrees with her partner on how much to contribute to wedding funds and says he would "give £50 if left to him".
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
Google disagrees with the court’s decision, while Klarna noted the award remains subject to appeal.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
Mormons are taught to respect their country and its leaders, even if one disagrees with them.
From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Maduro claims he quit that role after 10 months because Infantino and Fifa's wider leadership disagreed with how the committee was operating.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
“I looked for stories that nearly everyone today would agree were good decisions, even though many disagreed at the time,” Ellis says.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
Seventy-seven percent of respondents, members and nonmembers included, disagreed with “the AMA’s stance and actions.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
The two chambers had disagreed on approach, however.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
By afternoon, word had spread that a group of women had registered to vote, and many people disagreed with the election officials’ actions.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
Justice Brett Kavanaugh was the outlier in the decision, agreeing with the court’s judgment but disagreeing with its justification.
From Salon ● Jul. 2, 2026
Oppenheimer analyst Chris Kotowski maintains an Outperform rating on Blue Owl Capital, disagreeing with the narrative of broad private credit deterioration.
From Barron's ● Mar. 4, 2026
Canadian coach Paul Jacobs took a more nuanced approach, conceding there’s a problem but disagreeing with the solution.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 17, 2026
What followed was the football fallout that divided a nation; Keane disagreeing so vehemently with McCarthy's training camp methods that he quit and went home.
From BBC ● Jan. 4, 2026
FitzRoy had almost thrown Charles off the ship for disagreeing with him.
From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman
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.
