disbelieve

[dis-bi-leev]

See more synonyms for disbelieve on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), dis·be·lieved, dis·be·liev·ing.

to have no belief in; refuse or reject belief in: to disbelieve reports of UFO sightings.

verb (used without object), dis·be·lieved, dis·be·liev·ing.

to refuse or reject belief; have no belief.

Origin of disbelieve

First recorded in 1635–45; dis-¹ + believe

Related formsdis·be·liev·er, noundis·be·liev·ing·ly, adverb

Can be confuseddisbelieve misbelieve

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for disbelieve

Contemporary Examples

I was supposed to disbelieve everything the Israelis just told me.
Inside Obama’s Iran Sanctions Strategy
Eli Lake, Josh Rogin
November 14, 2013
I have looked down on dead Marines this way, trying to disbelieve them back to life.
America’s Lost Decade in Iraq: A Marine Officer Looks Back
Benjamin Busch
March 19, 2013
You may disbelieve the promise, but I'm afraid you can't simply instruct the voters to agree with you.
Who's Got the Edge Going Into the VP Debate?
Megan McArdle
October 11, 2012
There's another reason to disbelieve in a conspiracy: the number comes too late to do any good.
Why Would the BLS Bother to Cook the Books?
Megan McArdle
October 5, 2012
Some" may disbelieve these things, but even among conservatives, it is unlikely to be a very big "some.
The Overheated Case Against Romneycare
David Frum
August 4, 2012

Historical Examples

But accident enabled us to hear from your own lips, details which we could not disbelieve.
It Happened in Egypt
C. N. Williamson
Even good Bishop Jewel did not disbelieve in the power of the evil eye.
English Villages
P. H. Ditchfield
I did not imagine, I only heard and believed—and now I have seen, and I disbelieve.
Tales And Novels, Volume 9 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth
I cannot yet detect any signs of such an alliance, and disbelieve the story.
Diary from November 12, 1862, to October 18, 1863
Adam Gurowski
The former has sworn that she mentioned it to no one, and there is no reason to disbelieve her.
The Macdermots of Ballycloran
Anthony Trollope

British Dictionary definitions for disbelieve

disbelieve

verb

(tr) to reject as false or lying; refuse to accept as true or truthful
(intr usually foll by in) to have no faith (in)disbelieve in God

Derived Formsdisbeliever, noundisbelieving, adjectivedisbelievingly, adverb

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

Word Origin and History for disbelieve

v.

1640s; see dis- + believe. Related: Disbelieved; disbelieving; disbeliever.

disbelieve

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Related Words

Examples from the Web for disbelieve

Contemporary Examples

I was supposed to disbelieve everything the Israelis just told me.

I have looked down on dead Marines this way, trying to disbelieve them back to life.

You may disbelieve the promise, but I'm afraid you can't simply instruct the voters to agree with you.

There's another reason to disbelieve in a conspiracy: the number comes too late to do any good.

Some" may disbelieve these things, but even among conservatives, it is unlikely to be a very big "some.

Historical Examples

But accident enabled us to hear from your own lips, details which we could not disbelieve.

Even good Bishop Jewel did not disbelieve in the power of the evil eye.

I did not imagine, I only heard and believed—and now I have seen, and I disbelieve.

I cannot yet detect any signs of such an alliance, and disbelieve the story.

The former has sworn that she mentioned it to no one, and there is no reason to disbelieve her.

disbelieve

Word Origin and History for disbelieve

v.

Origin of disbelieve