disfavor
Americannoun
-
unfavorable regard; displeasure; disesteem; dislike.
The prime minister incurred the king's disfavor.
-
the state of being regarded unfavorably; disrepute.
The fashions of one year are in disfavor the next.
-
a disadvantageous or detrimental act; disservice.
The pianist did himself a disfavor in trying to sing.
verb (used with object)
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of disfavor
Explanation
When you disapprove of someone, you disfavor them. The wicked stepmother in "Cinderella" favored her own daughters but disfavored poor Cinderella. Thank goodness for that glass slipper. You probably know your parents well enough that it's perfectly obvious when you've fallen into their disfavor. This probably only means they're annoyed or angry at you, although in some cases disfavor can mean true dislike. You can also use this word as a verb: "The political system disfavors people who don't have much money."
Vocabulary lists containing disfavor
"American Names"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Dislike, List 2
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Dislike
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
It was the stick he waved around the world to achieve his foreign policy aims, to show favor and disfavor, to offer or withhold exemptions to courtiers.
From Slate ● Feb. 21, 2026
Once a former U.S. ally, Noriega fell into disfavor after engaging in electoral fraud.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 3, 2026
That shaving scene referenced earlier dramatizes why this and other supposedly neutral policies painfully disfavor some people without diving into a medical manual.
From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2025
That there is nothing new to see here is not in the series’ disfavor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 8, 2025
Since Toynbee’s attempt, worldwide syntheses of historical causation have fallen into disfavor among most historians, as posing an apparently intractable problem.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
