disrespect
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
-
disrespects,
present (3rd person singular)
-
disrespected,
past participle, past
-
disrespecting
present participle
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
disrespectsimple
-
disrespectssimple
-
have disrespectedperfect
-
has disrespectedperfect
-
am disrespectingprogressive
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are disrespectingprogressive
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is disrespectingprogressive
-
have been disrespectingperfect progressive
-
has been disrespectingperfect progressive
Past
-
disrespectedsimple
-
had disrespectedperfect
-
was disrespectingprogressive
-
were disrespectingprogressive
-
had been disrespectingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of disrespect
Explanation
To disrespect someone is to act in an insulting way toward them. When you disrespect people, you think very little of them. Disrespect is all about not showing respect. Actually, it's about showing the opposite of respect, by acting rude, impolite, and offensive. Talking back to your teacher is showing disrespect for her authority. Not giving up your seat to an elderly person is an act of disrespect. So is ignoring the customs and culture in a foreign country. The slang abbreviation dis comes from disrespect and means the same thing.
Vocabulary lists containing disrespect
Common Senses: Spec, Spect, Spic ("Look")
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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.
See Examples For:
Now, the 57-year-old’s obsession is videogames, which have become red hot in Hollywood after decades of disrespect.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
"Croke Park - no disrespect to Wembley - is the greatest stadium in the world," Peters says.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
"Systematic maintenance efforts are being carried out" to prevent "any disrespect toward the commemorative statues", and to ensure "future generations can continue to study Myanmar's historical heritage in a correct and appropriate manner", she added.
From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026
“They don’t roll their eyes, they can’t talk back, they can be honest and forthright but they don’t disrespect their parents.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
“Your father w as a brilliant man. Not another word of disrespect from you.”
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
The move enraged not only the opposition but also the Brazilian football federation, which responded by suggesting the act was a "provocation to a rival and disrespects the game", one punishable by a yellow card.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2025
To rely on acquitted conduct disrespects the jury’s role and undermines public faith in our criminal-justice system.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2025
And the more Sue disrespects the week on/week off balance, the more Elisabeth will suffer varicose veins, thinning, graying hair, sagging breasts, and other indignities of aging.
From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2024
“He has disgraced his country and disrespects everyone around him because he is a sad individual who is mad about how his miserable life has turned out.”
From Washington Times ● Dec. 25, 2023
“You require no instruction in this matter ... to sit before guests ... it disrespects them and the house.”
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
It does not care whether it was hidden or disrespected, whether you craved it or merely added it, whether the broccoli arrived under a glossy blanket of cheese.
From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026
Iglesias, 82, called the accusations "absolutely false", saying he had never "abused, coerced, or disrespected any woman".
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
The owners of a Titanic-themed ride have defended it after criticism it disrespected those who died in the 1912 disaster.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
“It’s disappointing in that regard, to feel disrespected a little bit,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
“When you feel disrespected, how does that make you feel?”
From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater
Kelly Clarkson accused a staffer at a specialty store in New York of disrespecting her during a recent shopping trip, but the establishment has pushed back, saying it was all a “misunderstanding.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
That line has stayed with me just as stubbornly as the one about disrespecting broccoli.
From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026
In doing so, he will be disrespecting the wishes of his wife.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 17, 2025
When addressing someone they look down on or are disrespecting, the Yautja use wul, while someone they respect would be addressed as dau.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2025
“What did I tell you about disrespecting my boys?”
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
