disbelief

noun

dis·​be·​lief ˌdis-bə-ˈlēf How to pronounce disbelief (audio)
: the act of disbelieving : mental rejection of something as untrue

Examples of disbelief in a Sentence

She stared at him in utter disbelief. their story explaining their absence was met with frank disbelief
Recent Examples on the Web When Kerr talks about his research at conferences, nurses tend to nod their heads in approval; doctors roll their eyes in disbelief. Phoebe Zerwick, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024 The 20-year-old from Italy dropped his racket and brought his hands to his face almost in disbelief before greeting Djokovic at the net. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 Host Andy Cohen was in disbelief at Larsa giving her teen $2,500 a month in spending money, but the mom doubled down on her decision. Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 Steven Spielberg kissed his wife and embraced his mother before his left hand floated to his temple in disbelief. Brent Lang, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024 Somewhere there’s one, continuous shot of me watching the ceremony in disbelief. Glenn Whipp, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024 At the ceremony, she was seen shaking her head and covering her mouth in disbelief. Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 2 Mar. 2024 In disbelief that afternoon, Souza recalled arguing with medical personnel at the Santa Fe hospital where he was taken by ambulance. Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024 The thunderous roar of the explosion washes over the audience, and scientists cheer each other in giddy disbelief. Hasina Jeelani, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disbelief.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1672, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disbelief was in 1672

Dictionary Entries Near disbelief

Cite this Entry

“Disbelief.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disbelief. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

disbelief

noun
dis·​be·​lief ˌdis-bə-ˈlēf How to pronounce disbelief (audio)
: the act or state of disbelieving : mental rejection of something as untrue

More from Merriam-Webster on disbelief

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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