English dictionary — definitions & meanings

disability

noun

A physical or mental condition that significantly limits a person's abilities or functioning.

disable

verb

To take away someone's ability to do something, especially by injuring them.

disabled

adj

Having a lasting physical or mental condition that limits activity or function.

disablement

noun

The action of disabling or the state of being disabled.

disabling

adj

Causing a serious loss of ability or function; crippling.

disaccord

noun

The absence or reverse of accord.

disadvantage

noun

A drawback, weakness, or unfavorable circumstance compared to others.

disadvantaged

adj

Lacking the resources, opportunities, or advantages that others have, especially due to poverty.

disadventure

noun

Synonym of misadventure, bad luck, an instance of bad luck, a mistake.

disaffect

verb

To cause a loss of affection, sympathy or loyalty in; to alienate or estrange.

disaffection

noun

Discontent; unrest.

disaffirm

verb

To deny, contradict or repudiate.

disagree

verb

To hold a different opinion from someone else.

disagreeable

adj

Unpleasant or displeasing to the senses or feelings.

disagreeing

verb

Present participle of "disagree" — holding or expressing a different opinion than someone else.

disagreement

noun

An argument or dispute between people who hold different views.

disallow

verb

To refuse to allow.

disambiguate

verb

To remove ambiguities from; to make less ambiguous; to clarify or specify which of multiple possibilities applies – e.g., possible meanings of an ambiguous statement – or to invite or require this.

disapparent

adj

Withcalling apparence, but fleeing perception.

disappear

verb

To vanish from sight; to stop being visible.

disappearance

noun

The act or fact of vanishing or going missing.

disappeared

adj

Made to vanish, especially abducted or killed for political reasons.

disappearing

verb

Present participle of "disappear" — going out of sight or ceasing to exist.

disappoint

verb

To make someone feel let down by failing to meet their hopes or expectations.

disappointed

adj

Feeling let down because something did not turn out as hoped.

disappointing

adj

Failing to meet expectations; causing disappointment.

disappointment

noun

The feeling of sadness or letdown when something doesn't meet expectations.

disapprobation

noun

An act or expression of condemnation or disapproval, especially on moral grounds.

disapproval

noun

A feeling or expression of not approving of something; condemnation.

disapprove

verb

To think something is wrong or unacceptable (usually followed by "of").

disapproving

adj

Showing that one disagrees with or dislikes something.

disarm

verb

To take weapons away from someone.

disarmament

noun

The reduction or elimination of a country's weapons and military forces.

disarmer

noun

A proponent of disarmament.

disarming

adj

Charming in a way that removes suspicion or hostility.

disarrange

verb

To undo the arrangement of; to disorder; to derange.

disarray

noun

A state of disorder or confusion.

disassemble

verb

To take something apart, especially a machine or piece of equipment.

disassembler

noun

A computer program that examines another computer program and attempts to generate assembly language source code that would, in theory, reproduce the target program.

disassembly

noun

The process of disassembling.

disassociate

verb

To separate (oneself); to dissolve one's association with a person, group, or situation.

disaster

noun

A sudden event, natural or man-made, that causes serious damage, loss of life, or destruction.

disastrous

adj

Causing great damage or harm; having the nature of a disaster.

disavail

verb

To disadvantage or harm.

disavow

verb

To formally deny responsibility for or support of something.

disavowal

noun

A denial of knowledge, relationship, or responsibility towards something or someone.

disavowed

adj

Strongly disowned or denied.

disband

verb

To break up a group so it no longer exists; to disperse.

disbelief

noun

An unwillingness or inability to believe that something is true.

disbelieve

verb

To not believe; to exercise disbelief.

disbeliever

noun

One who disbelieves; one who does not believe.

disbelieving

adj

refusing to believe; skeptical or incredulous

disburden

verb

To rid of a burden; to free from a load carried; to unload.

disburse

verb

To pay out, expend; usually from a public fund or treasury.

disbursement

noun

The paying out of money from a fund or account, especially a formal or scheduled payment such as a loan, grant or dividend.

disc

noun

A flat, round, thin object or shape.

discalced

adj

Pertaining to a religious order that historically forswore the wearing of shoes.

discard

verb

To throw away or get rid of something no longer wanted.

discarding

noun

The act by which something is discarded; a throwing away.

discase

verb

To strip; to undress (remove cclothes)

discern

verb

To notice or perceive something, especially something not immediately obvious.

discernible

adj

Able to be noticed or perceived, whether by the senses or the mind.

discerning

adj

Having good judgment or taste; able to notice subtle differences.

discernment

noun

The ability to judge well — to see the difference between things and decide wisely between them.

discerp

verb

To tear into pieces; to rend.

discharge

verb

To officially release someone from a hospital, job, the armed forces, or legal custody.

discharging

noun

The process of releasing or letting something out, such as a duty, a substance, or a patient.

disciple

noun

Someone who follows and learns from a teacher or leader, especially a religious or philosophical one.

discipleship

noun

In Christianity, the practice of following Jesus as a learner and living by his teaching, and the process by which believers are taught and formed to do so.

disciplinary

adj

Relating to punishment or rules meant to enforce good behaviour.

discipline

noun

The practice of training yourself or others to follow rules and control behaviour.

disciplined

adj

Showing strong self-control and the ability to stick to a plan or routine.

disciplineless

adj

Without discipline; undisciplined.

disclaim

verb

To completely renounce claims to; to deny ownership of or responsibility for

disclaimer

noun

A statement that limits or denies legal responsibility for something, typically attached to a product, website, contract or piece of advice.

disclose

verb

To reveal information that was previously secret or unknown.

disclosed

adj

Made known or revealed to others.

disclosing

noun

The act of revealing information that was previously hidden.

disclosure

noun

The act of revealing something previously secret, or the information revealed.

discman

name

A Sony portable personal compact disc player product line

disco

noun

A style of dance music popular in the 1970s, or a nightclub playing it.

discoid

adj

Shaped like a disc/disk.

discoloration

noun

A change in colour, usually an unwanted stain or fading, or the resulting mark.

discolour

verb

British and Canadian standard spelling of discolor.

discoloured

adj

UK standard spelling of discolored.

discombobulate

verb

To throw into a state of confusion; to befuddle or perplex.

discombobulated

adjective

Confused, flustered and unable to think straight, usually because something has disrupted your routine or expectations.

discomfiting

adj

Tending to discomfit (“embarrass greatly; upset the composure of, disconcert”).

discomfiture

noun

Defeat in battle.

discomfort

noun

A feeling of mild physical pain or mental unease.

discommendation

noun

blame; censure; reproach; shunning.

discommodate

verb

To render unfit or unsuitable; to fail to treat well.

discommode

verb

To cause inconvenience to (someone).

discompose

verb

To destroy the composure of; to disturb or agitate.

disconcert

verb

To upset the composure of; to startle.

disconcerted

adj

Ruffled; upset and embarrassed.

disconcerting

adj

Making someone feel confused, unsettled, or worried.

disconfirm

verb

To establish the falsity of a claim or belief; to show or to tend to show that a theory or hypothesis is not valid.

disconnect

verb

To break a connection between two things, such as a cable or a phone call.

disconnected

adj

No longer joined or linked; cut off.

disconnection

noun

Severance of a physical connection.

disconsolate

adj

Cheerless, dreary.

discontent

noun

A feeling of dissatisfaction or unhappiness with one's situation.

discontented

adj

Experiencing discontent, dissatisfaction.

discontentment

noun

A state of dissatisfaction or discontent.

discontinuance

noun

The occurrence of something being discontinued; a cessation; an incomplete ending.

discontinuation

noun

A breach or interruption of continuity.

discontinue

verb

To stop making, selling, or continuing something.

discontinued

adj

No longer made, sold, or continued.

discontinuity

noun

A lack of continuity, regularity or sequence; a break or gap.

discontinuous

adj

having breaks or interruptions; intermittent

discontinuously

adv

In a discontinuous manner; not continuously.

discord

noun

Disagreement or lack of harmony between people.

discordance

noun

A state of being discordant; disagreement, inconsistency.

discordant

adj

Not in agreement or harmony; clashing.

discordianism

name

A minor new religious movement with absurdist elements, often seen as a parody, based on the worship of Eris, the Greek goddess of discord and confusion.

discotheque

noun

A nightclub where people dance to recorded pop or dance music.

discount

noun

A reduction in the usual price of something.

discounted

adj

Sold at a reduced price.

discourage

verb

To make someone feel less confident, hopeful, or motivated.

discouraged

adj

Having lost confidence, hope, or motivation.

discouragement

noun

The loss of confidence or enthusiasm.

discouraging

adj

Making someone feel less confident or hopeful.

discourse

noun

Serious conversation or communication, spoken or written, on a particular subject.

discourteous

adj

Impolite; lacking consideration for others.

discourteously

adv

In a discourteous manner.

discourtesy

noun

Lack of courtesy; rudeness.

discover

verb

To find or learn something for the first time.

discovered

verb

Past tense and past participle of discover: to have found or come to know something that was previously unknown to you.

discoverer

noun

One who discovers: a person who has discovered something.

discovering

noun

The act or process of finding something out for the first time.

discovery

noun

The act of finding something previously unknown, or the thing found.

discredit

verb

To damage someone's reputation or make people doubt their honesty.

discreditably

adv

In a discreditable manner

discredited

adj

No longer believed to be true, honest, or reliable.

discreet

adj

Careful and tactful in what one says or does, especially to avoid causing embarrassment.

discreetly

adv

In a careful, tactful way that avoids drawing attention.

discreetness

noun

The state or quality of being discreet.

discrepancy

noun

A difference between things that are supposed to match.

discrepant

adj

Showing difference; inconsistent, dissimilar.

discrete

adj

Separate and distinct from other things, rather than continuous or connected.

discretely

adv

As a separate independent unit.

discretion

noun

The freedom or authority to make your own judgement or decision.

discretionary

adj

Left to someone's own judgement rather than fixed by rules.

discriminate

verb

To treat a person or group unfairly because of a characteristic such as race, age, or gender.

discriminating

adj

Having good judgement and a fine sense of quality; able to spot subtle differences.

discrimination

noun

Unfair treatment of a person or group based on characteristics like race, gender, or age.

discriminatory

adj

Of or pertaining to discrimination (in all senses).

disculpate

verb

To free from blame or the imputation of a fault; to exonerate.

discus

noun

A heavy round disc thrown in athletics competitions.