disreputable
Americanadjective
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not reputable; having a bad reputation.
a disreputable barroom.
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- Synonyms:
- shameful, louche, low, objectionable, unprincipled, ignoble, disgraceful
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shabby or shoddy; of poor quality or condition.
disreputable clothes.
adjective
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having or causing a lack of repute
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disordered in appearance
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of disreputable
Explanation
If a person or organization is disreputable, they have an image problem. They are — or at least appear to be — crooked, shady, or just plain bad news. See how the word reputation is partially hidden in disreputable? If a person is disreputable, they have a bad reputation for some reason. A student caught cheating will get a bad reputation with teachers and become disreputable. A politician caught in a scandal could become disreputable. If an airline crashes a plane, they will become disreputable. When someone or something is disreputable, people no longer trust them. Even if the reality is different, it's hard to shake off a disreputable image.
Vocabulary lists containing disreputable
Fever 1793
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The City of Ember
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The Haunting of Hill House
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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.
"Disreputable conduct" accounted for 121 of the allegations, with "authority, respect and courtesy" the next biggest category.
From BBC • Oct. 11, 2021
Disreputable suppliers have been known to substitute a cheap facsimile for a rare or expensive spice.
From Washington Post • Aug. 6, 2021
Charting Frankie Landau-Banks' journey from "feisty, intelligent girl" to "criminal mastermind" – Lydia wrote a fantastic review of The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart.
From The Guardian • Jun. 7, 2013
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banksby E. Lockhart Having randomly stumbled upon this book online, I'm now tempted to spend a bit more time searching.
From The Guardian • May 30, 2013
She was a regular case, and her pet name all over the school was: ‘The malicious, seditious, insubordinate, Disreputable, sceptical Queen of the Hornets.’
From Witch Winnie's Mystery, or The Old Oak Cabinet The Story of a King's Daughter by Champney, Elizabeth W. (Elizabeth Williams)
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.
