disapprove

verb

dis·​ap·​prove ˌdis-ə-ˈprüv 

disapproved; disapproving; disapproves

transitive verb

1

: to pass unfavorable judgment on

2

: to refuse approval to : reject

intransitive verb

: to feel or express disapproval

disapprover noun

disapprovingly

ˌdis-ə-ˈprü-viŋ-lē 

adverb

Synonyms of disapprove

• reject
• deny
• refuse
• decline

Examples of disapprove in a Sentence

She married him even though her parents disapproved.

The treaty was disapproved by the Senate.

Recent Examples on the Web

There are still deliveries of hate mail from conservative neighbors who disapprove of their lifestyle, and occasional drive-bys punctuated with curses yelled from car windows, but they’ve largely been accepted by the community. —Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026

Trump recently received his lowest approval ratings in both terms, with 59% of respondents disapproving of him and 47% strongly disapproving, according to a March Fox News survey. —Sydney Topf, The Washington Examiner, 8 Apr. 2026

The majority of Democrats, at 63%, approve of Mamdani, while the same percentage of Republicans disapprove of him. —Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026

Escalating attacks could raise the domestic political stakes for Trump with polls showing Americans mostly disapprove of the war against Iran. —Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1562, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for disapprove

• approve
• disprove
• improve
• remove
• reprove
• groove
• move
• prove

Kids Definition

disapprove

verb

dis·​ap·​prove ˌdis-ə-ˈprüv 

1

: to dislike or be against someone or something

disapproved the child's conduct

disapproves of smoking

2

: to refuse to give approval to : reject

disapproved the architect's plans

disapprovingly

-ˈprü-viŋ-lē 

adverb