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
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are disrespectingprogressive
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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:
"Croke Park - no disrespect to Wembley - is the greatest stadium in the world," Peters says.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
“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
“I didn't mean to disrespect you,” she says.
From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi
It states the show disrespects her memory and risks making light of such a harrowing event.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Clark not only disrespects officials, she is unafraid to show up her coach Stephanie White, as witnessed by their recent viral exchange on the bench during a loss to the Portland Fire.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026
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
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
“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
Whipps said Beijing had "threatened and really disrespected" the region with the test of the rocket, which monitors said appeared to land in a patch of ocean somewhere between Solomon Islands, Nauru and Tuvalu.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
“I’ve always felt very loved by the people of Mexico. I’ve never disrespected anyone,” he said during an interview with “Simplemente Fútbol.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
Belov claimed that after walking away, he was still being "disrespected" so he turned around and went back to the group.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026
He doesn’t even know when he’s been disrespected.
From "Towers Falling" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
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
“Starbucks’ long pattern of disrespecting workers’ rights stands in stark contrast to the Olympic spirit, which celebrates human dignity, fairness, solidarity, and teamwork,” Eisen said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 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
“What did I tell you about disrespecting my boys?”
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
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.
