Synonyms

disobey

American

[dis-uh-bey] / ˌdɪs əˈbeɪ /

verb (used with or without object)

to neglect or refuse to obey.

Synonyms:

oppose, ignore, resist, disregard, defy

disobey British

/ ˌdɪsəˈbeɪ /

verb

to neglect or refuse to obey (someone, an order, etc)

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

disobeyer

noun

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of disobey

1350–1400; Middle English disobeien < Old French desobeir, equivalent to des- dis- ¹ + obeir to obey

Explanation

When you don't follow the rules — especially when they come from a teacher, parent, boss or other authority figure — you disobey. A first-grader disobeys his teacher when he can't help running in the halls of the school, and a dog will disobey your shouted commands if you haven't trained her very well. When you obey someone's rules, you follow them strictly. The verb disobey combines the Latin obedire, "serve, pay attention to, or listen," with dis, which here means "not." The original Latin version of disobey, inobedire, used in rather than dis.

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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.

Disobey the rules and “in serious cases, sanctions may be imposed,” IOC guidance states.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 4, 2021

Disobey and the punishment is not a red or yellow card but a blue one that leads to soccer's version of purgatory: a five-minute trip to the sidelines for spiritual reflection.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2015

Disobey him not, lest more cruel punishments befall thee.'

From Hero Tales by Baldwin, James

Disobey me, And all thy boasted strength shall fall from thee.

From The Admirable Bashville or, Constancy Unrewarded by Shaw, Bernard

Disobey my injunctions, and I shall soon be called to mourn over the announcement that you have found an early grave, far from your native land, and among total strangers.

From St. Elmo by Evans, Augusta J. (Augusta Jane)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023