Standard Lemma guide

disfavour

noun · verb · 7 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: /dɪsˈfeɪvə(ɹ)/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Lack of favour; displeasure.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, countable, uncountable

Examples

  • His lateness for the appointment incurred her disfavour.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An unkindness; a disobliging act.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A state of being out of favour.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To show lack of favour or antipathy towards.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK

Examples

  • Her past performance meant that she was often disfavoured for important tasks.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

an inclination to withhold approval from some person or group

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: disfavor, dislike, disapproval

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: inclination, disposition, tendency

Narrower terms: doghouse, reprobation

6

noun

Meaning 6

the state of being out of favor

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he is in disfavor with the king

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: disfavor

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: rejection

Narrower terms: wilderness

7

verb

Meaning 7

put at a disadvantage; hinder, harm

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • This rule clearly disadvantages me

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: disadvantage, disfavor

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: discriminate, separate, single out

Narrower terms: handicap, hinder, hamper, prejudice

History

Etymology

From English dis- + favour, from Middle French desfaveur.

Across languages

Translations

14 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: немилост (nemilost) — the state of being out of favour
  • Esperanto: malfavoro — the state of being out of favour
  • French: défaveur — the state of being out of favour
  • German: Ungunst — the state of being out of favour
  • Japanese: 冷遇 (reigū) — the state of being out of favour
  • Manx: mee-foayr — the state of being out of favour
  • Romanian: defavoare — the state of being out of favour
  • Romanian: dezaprobare — the state of being out of favour
  • Romanian: dizgrație — the state of being out of favour
  • Turkish: gözden düşme — the state of being out of favour
  • Catalan: desfavorir — to show lack of favour or antipathy towards
  • Chinese: 冷遇 (lěngyù) — to show lack of favour or antipathy towards
  • French: défaveur — to show lack of favour or antipathy towards
  • Japanese: 冷遇する (reigū) — to show lack of favour or antipathy towards