noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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UK:/dɪsbɪˈliːf/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:D IH2 S B IH0 L IY1 F
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
An unpreparedness, unwillingness, or an inability to believe that something is the case.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
Examples
She cried out in disbelief on hearing that terrorists had crashed an airplane into the World Trade Center in New York City.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Astonishment.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
Examples
I stared in disbelief at the Grand Canyon.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
The loss or abandonment of a belief; the cessation of belief.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
doubt about the truth of something
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh1 Proto-Indo-European *d(w)is- Proto-Italic *dis- Latin dis- Old French des-bor. ▲ Latin dis-bor. Middle English dis- English dis- Proto-Indo-European *lewbh-der. Proto-Germanic *laubō Proto-West Germanic *laubu Old English lēafa Middle English bileve English belief English disbelief From dis- + belief.
Across languages
Translations
30 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
недоверие
(nedoverie)
— unpreparedness, unwillingness, or inability to believe that something is the case
Bulgarian:
скептицизъм
(skepticizǎm)
— unpreparedness, unwillingness, or inability to believe that something is the case
Czech:
nevíra
— unpreparedness, unwillingness, or inability to believe that something is the case
Czech:
ustrnutí
— unpreparedness, unwillingness, or inability to believe that something is the case
Dutch:
ongeloof
— unpreparedness, unwillingness, or inability to believe that something is the case
Esperanto:
nekredemo
— unpreparedness, unwillingness, or inability to believe that something is the case
Esperanto:
nekredo
— unpreparedness, unwillingness, or inability to believe that something is the case
Finnish:
epäusko
— unpreparedness, unwillingness, or inability to believe that something is the case
German:
Unglaube
— unpreparedness, unwillingness, or inability to believe that something is the case
Gothic:
𐌿𐌽𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌿𐌱𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍃
(ungalaubeins)
— unpreparedness, unwillingness, or inability to believe that something is the case
Greek:
δυσπιστία
(dyspistía)
— unpreparedness, unwillingness, or inability to believe that something is the case
Greek:
σκεπτικισμός
(skeptikismós)
— unpreparedness, unwillingness, or inability to believe that something is the case
Hindi:
अविश्वास
(aviśvās)
— unpreparedness, unwillingness, or inability to believe that something is the case
Latin:
incredulitas
— unpreparedness, unwillingness, or inability to believe that something is the case
Portuguese:
descrença
— unpreparedness, unwillingness, or inability to believe that something is the case
Portuguese:
incredulidade
— unpreparedness, unwillingness, or inability to believe that something is the case
Romanian:
necredință
— unpreparedness, unwillingness, or inability to believe that something is the case
Romanian:
neîncredere
— unpreparedness, unwillingness, or inability to believe that something is the case
Ottoman Turkish:
كفر
(küfr)
— unpreparedness, unwillingness, or inability to believe that something is the case
