disfavor
Americannoun
-
unfavorable regard; displeasure; disesteem; dislike.
The prime minister incurred the king's disfavor.
-
the state of being regarded unfavorably; disrepute.
The fashions of one year are in disfavor the next.
-
a disadvantageous or detrimental act; disservice.
The pianist did himself a disfavor in trying to sing.
verb (used with object)
Other Word Forms
- disfavorer noun
Etymology
Origin of disfavor
Explanation
When you disapprove of someone, you disfavor them. The wicked stepmother in "Cinderella" favored her own daughters but disfavored poor Cinderella. Thank goodness for that glass slipper. You probably know your parents well enough that it's perfectly obvious when you've fallen into their disfavor. This probably only means they're annoyed or angry at you, although in some cases disfavor can mean true dislike. You can also use this word as a verb: "The political system disfavors people who don't have much money."
Vocabulary lists containing disfavor
"American Names"
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Dislike, List 2
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Dislike
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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 program singles out a list of industrial facilities for disfavor, setting a low threshold for the permitting requirements to kick in.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026
It was the stick he waved around the world to achieve his foreign policy aims, to show favor and disfavor, to offer or withhold exemptions to courtiers.
From Slate • Feb. 21, 2026
That shaving scene referenced earlier dramatizes why this and other supposedly neutral policies painfully disfavor some people without diving into a medical manual.
From Salon • Oct. 10, 2025
That there is nothing new to see here is not in the series’ disfavor.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2025
While some great naturalists still praised her books, she fell into disfavor with a scientific establishment that increasingly rejected the work of self-taught amateurs.
From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman
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.
