disbelieve

[ dis-bi-leev ]

verb (used with object)

, dis·be·lieved, dis·be·liev·ing.

1. to have no belief in; refuse or reject belief in:

   to disbelieve reports of UFO sightings.

verb (used without object)

, dis·be·lieved, dis·be·liev·ing.

1. to refuse or reject belief; have no belief.

disbelieve

/ ˌdɪsbɪˈliːv /

verb

1. tr to reject as false or lying; refuse to accept as true or truthful
2. intrusually foll byin to have no faith (in)

   disbelieve in God

Derived Forms

• ˌdisbeˈlieving, adjective
• ˌdisbeˈliever, noun
• ˌdisbeˈlievingly, adverb

Other Words From

• disbe·liever noun
• disbe·lieving·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of disbelieve¹

First recorded in 1635–45; dis- ¹ + believe

Example Sentences

But the contradictions did not cause jurors to disbelieve her, said Harry MacLean, who wrote about the case in the book “Once Upon a Time: A True Story of Memory, Murder and the Law.”

From Los Angeles Times

Disbelieve those observations at your peril.

From Salon

Few of the now grown-up McMartin children have spoken publicly, but some have described the pressure to fabricate stories or disbelieve innocent memories in favor of traumatic ones.

From Los Angeles Times

He used a series of vulgar expressions to describe his business rivals and said only a “moron” would disbelieve Dr. Wright.

From New York Times

Trump's current troubles, and many in his past, stem from his weird relationship with Cohn, who taught him that there are no rules and no limits to what he can get away with if he has the chutzpah to challenge the very concept of reality itself, daring people to disbelieve his lies or risk destruction.

From Salon

Related Words

• repudiate