disapprove
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
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to consider wrong, bad, etc
-
(tr) to withhold approval from
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of disapprove
Explanation
To disapprove is to object to something, or frown on it. Your parents, worried about head injuries, might disapprove of your joining the football team. You can say that you disapprove of violence in movies and video games, or that you disapprove of censorship of any kind. Almost everyone disapproves of things like drunk driving or being cruel to animals. In all of these examples, to disapprove is to believe something is wrong or bad. Originally, in the 15th century, the word meant "disprove," but by the mid-1600s the meaning shifted to "the reverse of approve."
Vocabulary lists containing disapprove
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.
It’s not as if voters can go to the voting booth and show that they disapprove of this.
From Slate • May 7, 2026
According to Gallup, as of September 2025, 42% of respondents approve, 52% disapprove and 6% have no opinion of the Supreme Court.
From Salon • Apr. 25, 2026
Direct military assistance would also be deeply unpopular among the Japanese people, with a recent poll by newspaper The Asahi Shimbun showing 82% of voters disapprove of the war.
From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026
About 25% of those polled said they approve of the job Bass is doing as mayor, while about 47% disapprove.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026
“No, my dear. I really disapprove of you dealing with the servants. It’s not wise in your condition, you know.”
From "Copper Sun" by Sharon M. Draper
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.
