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Synonyms

disservice

American  
[dis-sur-vis] / dɪsˈsɜr vɪs /

noun

  • disservices
    plural
  1. harmful or injurious service; an ill turn.

    Synonyms:
    unkindness, injury, harm, hurt, wrong

verb (used with object)

disserviced, disservicing
  1. to provide inadequate or faulty service to.

    Small shippers are most often disserviced by transportation breakdowns.

disservice British  
/ dɪsˈsɜːvɪs /

noun

  1. an ill turn; wrong; injury, esp when trying to help

"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

Inflected Forms

Nouns


Etymology

Origin of disservice

First recorded in 1590–1600; dis- 1 + service 1


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:

Suraci stressed that large carnivores, like any species, have inherent value beyond the services they provide to human beings -- but said that failing to make the economic case would be a disservice to them.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

I don’t think you are doing her a disservice by passing on executor duties after she’s gone.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

It’s a disservice to both parties, according to Ashleigh Golden, a clinical psychologist and adjunct clinical professor at Stanford University’s School of Medicine.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

To focus only on Knight the captain does a disservice to Knight the cricketer.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

Failure to acknowledge the relevant differences, as well as their implications, would be a disservice to racial justice discourse.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

I think one of the big disservices of the justice system, and I know it sounds odd, is its mascot.

From Salon ● Feb. 21, 2022

All This in the Name of Fashion New York City Ballet’s gala on Thursday night managed to do disservices to both ballet and fashion.

From New York Times ● Sep. 22, 2012

One of the greatest disservices of “The Hurt Locker” is the impression that soldiers in Iraq were masters of their destinies.

From New York Times ● Mar. 1, 2010

Public services were so badly administered that they were cynically called "public disservices."

From Time Magazine Archive

It is more profitable to attempt to balance its services and its disservices to the cause of women's suffrage.

From The Task of Social Hygiene by Havelock Ellis

"When you have truly been disserviced and are understanding about it, you might get a free upgrade. Honey is sweeter, and appreciated more, than crap."

From Time ● Aug. 21, 2017

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