disabuse
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have disabusedperfect
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has disabusedperfect 3rd person singular
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are disabusingprogressive
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is disabusingprogressive 3rd person singular
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disabusingparticiple
-
am disabusingprogressive 1st person singular
-
have been disabusingperfect progressive
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has been disabusingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
disabusessingular 3rd person
Past
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had disabusedperfect
-
were disabusingprogressive plural
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was disabusingprogressive singular
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had been disabusingperfect progressive
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disabusedsimple
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disabusedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of disabuse
From the French word désabuser, dating back to 1605–15. See dis- 1, abuse
Explanation
Disabuse means to free someone of a belief that is not true. Many teachers of health find that when they teach, they spend as much energy disabusing kids of false beliefs as they do giving them the facts. Disabuse is often connected to the word notion or idea. In singing lessons, you must disabuse young singers of the idea that they can sing better by singing louder. In the first year of college, many people are disabused of the notion that their experiences are universal — by meeting so many people who have had different experiences or come from different backgrounds.
Vocabulary lists containing disabuse
Power Prefix: dis-
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Quiz yourself on these words spoken by the man at the center of the "Laurel" / "Yanny" craze!
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Grade 12, List 5
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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.
The President may have to disabuse them of that impression.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
His wife, he says, is happy to disabuse him of that notion.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 4, 2025
“This time of year traditionally has not been fire season but now, we disabuse any notion that there is a season, it’s year-round in the state of California,” he said on social media.
From Salon • Jan. 15, 2025
Broussard tried to disabuse me of this notion.
From Slate • May 11, 2024
Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged looks, but before they could disabuse Hagrid of this comfortable notion, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Ginny appeared, all clutching heavy packages of books.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
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.
