disoblige
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to refuse or neglect to oblige; act contrary to the desire or convenience of; fail to accommodate.
-
to give offense to; affront.
to be disobliged by a tactless remark.
-
to cause inconvenience to; incommode.
to be disobliged by an uninvited guest.
verb
-
to disregard the desires of
-
to slight; insult
-
informal to cause trouble or inconvenience to
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of disoblige
1595–1605; < Middle French desobliger, equivalent to des- dis- 1 + obliger to oblige
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.
See Examples For:
Sorry to disoblige, old fellow, but I'm on duty where Miss Verbena is now, you see, as she's just promised to be my wife.
From Mr Punch's Model Music Hall Songs and Dramas Collected, Improved and Re-arranged from Punch by Anstey, F.
This made them laugh, and then they questioned me about Saint James, and the troops there, and the captain-general; and not to disoblige them, I told them all I knew, and much more.
From The Bible in Spain - Vol. 2 [of 2] by Borrow, George Henry
We are so fond of, and pleased with the general Notion of seeing the Devil, that I am loth to disoblige my Readers so much as calling in question his Visibility would do.
From The History of the Devil As Well Ancient as Modern: In Two Parts by Defoe, Daniel
It was consolatory, nevertheless, to her feelings, that Ireton, hitherto her defamer, should acquiesce in this offer, which, at least, not to disoblige Mrs Maple, she would accept for the moment.
From The Wanderer (Volume 2 of 5) or, Female Difficulties by Burney, Fanny
You would make yourself an object for the laughter and remarks of your shipmates; and would disoblige your owners, who, after this voyage, have promised you the command of a vessel.
From Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland Volume 5 by Various
The prelate told him the bishopric was but a very small one, and he could not hope for a better if he disobliged the court.
From Irish Wit and Humor Anecdote Biography of Swift, Curran, O'Leary and O'Connell by Anonymous
The fears, the inquietudes, the uneasy days, the restless nights; all arising from doubts of having disobliged me!
From Clarissa Harlowe; or the history of a young lady — Volume 3 by Richardson, Samuel
These particular friends who were not to be disobliged seem to have been shining lights of the Whig party.
From The Palmy Days of Nance Oldfield by Robins, Edward
They are ingenious and nimble, much addicted to indolence, obliging to strangers, but implacable when once disobliged.
I hope I may have leave to observe transiently, that none but angry men, that is, such as hold themselves disobliged at Court, are the Pillars of his Party.
From His Majesties Declaration Defended by Dryden, John
A few are offering the odd disobliging word about Mr Dowden, suggesting he never wanted to be party chairman in the first place and was very disappointed to be demoted from being culture secretary.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2022
As one disobliging student says of them, “The only thing they care about is looking like they care.”
From The Guardian ● Feb. 11, 2016
"You know, the great British portraitist. He was jealous of the prices she commanded and in his work Oriental Tales he was most disobliging about her. Said she was feeble and vulgar!"
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2015
Mr Poon's ancestors were dotted in random, disobliging clumps over the entire hillside, thus attesting to Wallace that key characteristics of that irksome family were transmitted beyond death itself.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 4, 2012
It is a strange thing, but when you are dreading something, and would give anything to slow down time, it has a disobliging habit of speeding up.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" 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.
