Standard Lemma guide

disinclination

noun · 3 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.

  • /ˌdɪsɪŋklɪˈneɪʃən/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪʃən
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 S IH0 N K L AH0 N EY1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The state of being disinclined; want of propensity, desire, or affection; slight aversion or dislike

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • strong disinclination
  • natural disinclination
  • disinclination to act
  • He showed a marked disinclination to speak.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: indisposition

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a certain degree of unwillingness

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a reluctance to commit himself
  • his hesitancy revealed his basic indisposition
  • after some hesitation he agreed

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: reluctance, hesitancy, hesitation, indisposition

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: unwillingness, involuntariness

Narrower terms: sloth, slothfulness

3

noun

Meaning 3

that toward which you are inclined to feel dislike

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • his disinclination for modesty is well known

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: inclination

Broader terms: dislike

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Latin dis- Old French des-bor. Latin dis-bor. Middle English dis- English dis- English inclination English disinclination From dis- + inclination.

Across languages

Translations

7 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: нежелание (neželanie) — the state of being disinclined
  • Bulgarian: неохота (neohota) — the state of being disinclined
  • Finnish: vastahakoisuus — the state of being disinclined
  • Finnish: haluttomuus — the state of being disinclined
  • Hindi: विमुखता (vimukhtā) — the state of being disinclined
  • Irish: leisce — the state of being disinclined
  • Romanian: indispoziție — the state of being disinclined