disreputable

adjective

dis·​rep·​u·​ta·​ble (ˌ)dis-ˈre-pyə-tə-bəl How to pronounce disreputable (audio)
: not reputable
disreputableness noun
disreputably adverb

Examples of disreputable in a Sentence

a disreputable Internet retailer that had a record of hundreds of complaints for shoddy merchandise and slow refunds
Recent Examples on the Web Add to this the fabrications and plagiarism of the writers Stephen Glass and Ruth Shalit, and The New Republic of the Peretz era can in retrospect begin to resemble, to many, a leaky, disreputable ghost barge. Dwight Garner, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2023 Put simply, Mareterra isn’t a development where disreputable oligarchs and oil magnates can keep cash away from prying governments’ eyes. Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 6 Aug. 2023 This was an affront to our general decency, as no silly or disreputable artist had ever previously won a Grammy. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 June 2023 Requisitioned from farmers, blitzed with anthrax-laden bombs in the 1940s, and made inhospitable to human and animal life for decades, the tiny Scottish island of Gruinard now serves as home to a flock of healthy sheep and a disreputable monument to the birth of biological warfare. Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 1 Apr. 2017 This often happens when an underpriced order is accepted by a disreputable florist willing to take a little money to get rid of old flowers. Star Tribune, 1 May 2021 Of course, there is a danger that weaponry sold to a reputable buyer, the U.S., say, might still end up in disreputable hands, such as the Taliban’s after the scuttle from Afghanistan, but there is a limit to the extent to which that can be anticipated or policed. Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 25 Mar. 2022 Third, in emitting this bizarre screed against CBDC, DeSantis is effectively running interference for the cryptocurrency industry, as disreputable a bunch as can be found in the financial marketplace. Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 7 Apr. 2023 My recliner is, I am told, disreputable and embarrassing. Murr Brewster, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disreputable.' 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

circa 1726, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disreputable was circa 1726

Dictionary Entries Near disreputable

Cite this Entry

“Disreputable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disreputable. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

disreputable

adjective
dis·​rep·​u·​ta·​ble (ˈ)dis-ˈrep-yət-ə-bəl How to pronounce disreputable (audio)
: not respectable : having a bad reputation
disreputableness noun
disreputably adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on disreputable

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