Standard Lemma guide

disbelieve

verb · 4 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /dɪsbɪˈliːv/
  • Mid-Atlantic, US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 S B AH0 L IY1 V Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To not believe; to exercise disbelief.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • If you disbelieve such people, then keep disbelieving them for as long as you live or want.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To actively deny (a statement, opinion or perception).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He chose to disbelieve the bad news as inconceivable.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To cease to believe.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

reject as false; refuse to accept

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: discredit

Antonyms: believe

Broader terms: reject

Narrower terms: doubt, distrust, mistrust, suspect

History

Etymology

Coined circa 1640, from dis- + believe. Compare misbelieve.

Across languages

Translations

19 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: كَذَّبَ (kaḏḏaba) — not believe
  • Bulgarian: не вярвам (ne vjarvam) — not believe
  • Bulgarian: скептичен съм (skeptičen sǎm) — not believe
  • Catalan: descreure — not believe
  • Ngazidja Comorian: ukufuru — not believe
  • French: ne pas croire — not believe
  • French: mécroire — not believe
  • German: ungläubig sein — not believe
  • Gothic: 𐌿𐌽𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌿𐌱𐌾𐌰𐌽 (ungalaubjan) — not believe
  • Ancient Greek: ἀπιστέω (apistéō) — not believe
  • Japanese: 疑う (utagau) — not believe
  • Macedonian: не верува (ne veruva) — not believe
  • Māori: whakahori — not believe
  • Māori: whakaparau — not believe
  • Māori: whakateka — not believe
  • Māori: whakamanu — not believe
  • Portuguese: descrer — not believe
  • Russian: не ве́рить (ne véritʹ) — not believe
  • Spanish: descreer — not believe