disrespect
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
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
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have been disrespectingperfect progressive
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has been disrespectingperfect progressive
Past
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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:
"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
If we treat the women in our lives with disrespect and deceit, we aren’t exactly the picture of a feminist ally.
From Slate ● Jun. 2, 2026
In 2019, Barca were accused of disrespect by Atleti in their efforts to sign Antoine Griezmann.
From BBC ● May 29, 2026
No disrespect to the younger Baron, but there is no particular reason to think he will beat the indexes over time.
From MarketWatch ● May 27, 2026
“I have been waitin’ many years and now the time has come when ’tis no longer disrespect to the dead to speak out.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
Clark not only disrespects officials, she is unafraid to show up her coach Stephanie White, as witnessed by their recent viral exchange on the bench during a loss to the Portland Fire.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026
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
“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
We are a diverse species that disrespects its diversity.
From Salon ● Mar. 16, 2023
He was a runaway and a thief and a liar, and if there was a word for someone who disrespects a monk in his own temple, he was that, too.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
He struggled to win over the crowd during his astonishing 2019 Wimbledon final victory over Federer and felt disrespected by their cheers in his match against Holger Rune two years ago.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
"He was very rude, he disrespected me and mistreated me on the phone," Michelle Bolsonaro, 44, told her 8.2 million Instagram followers about her stepson Flavio Bolsonaro, 45.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
Ziame says people his age have been misunderstood and their opinions disrespected by policymakers.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
Brunson embodies Knicks fans as they see themselves: confident, gritty, crafty, a tad disrespected, good in a jam.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026
I’ve had this happen to me, and I always feel a bit like I’m being disrespected.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
Mexican boxer Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez interpreted the scene as the Argentine captain deliberately kicking the jersey and accused him of disrespecting Mexico — an allegation that Messi denied.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
It respects the people around me without disrespecting myself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2026
In doing so, he will be disrespecting the wishes of his wife.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 17, 2025
"When you disagree, you also have the option of abstaining," Meloni told a TV chat show this week, after critics accused her of disrespecting democracy.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2025
“Sneaking around out and about is one thing, but parading through school like this, disrespecting Dave?”
From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin
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.
