noun

disservice

dih-SUR-vihs

Disservice (noun) means an action that causes harm, especially one that was meant or expected to help. Example: “Ignoring the warning signs did a disservice to the whole team.”

noun

An action that causes harm, especially one that was meant or expected to help.

"Ignoring the warning signs did a disservice to the whole team."

"The article does a disservice to readers by oversimplifying the science."

How to use disservice

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA harmful or unhelpful act, often one that should have helped instead.

Common pairings

do a disservice disservice to great disservice

Word forms

disserviced past tense, disservices plural, disservices singular

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

Ignoring the warning signs did a _____ to the whole team.

Etymology

From dis- ("not") + service.

Synonyms

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ill turn ill service

Rhymes for disservice

ice rice mice dice nice vice trice voice price twice juice spice

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Frequently asked questions

What does “disservice” mean?

The word “disservice” means an action that causes harm, especially one that was meant or expected to help. In plain terms, a harmful or unhelpful act, often one that should have helped instead.

How do you pronounce “disservice”?

“Disservice” is pronounced dih-SUR-vihs (/dɪ(s)ˈsɝvɪs/ in IPA).

How do you use “disservice” in a sentence?

Here is “disservice” used in a sentence: “Ignoring the warning signs did a disservice to the whole team.”

What part of speech is “disservice”?

“Disservice” is a noun.