Meaning & use
disrespect
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
A lack of respect shown through rude words or actions.
Grammar: Uncountable: show disrespect, not a disrespect.
Patterns
- show disrespect for someone
- disrespect toward someone
Texting during the funeral showed disrespect for the family.
The coach would not tolerate any disrespect toward referees.
She meant no disrespect by leaving early.
verbtransitiveinformal
To treat someone or something with rudeness or a lack of respect.
Grammar: Takes an object: do not disrespect your elders. Common in speech.
Patterns
- disrespect someone
- disrespect something
He felt that his manager disrespected him in front of the team.
Do not disrespect the flag by letting it touch the ground.
The fans booed the player for disrespecting the coach.
Word forms
| third person singular | disrespects |
|---|---|
| past tense | disrespected |
| past participle | disrespected |
| -ing form | disrespecting |
Common combinations
- show disrespect
- Interrupting the speaker shows disrespect.
- no disrespect
- No disrespect, but I think your plan has a flaw.
- deep disrespect
- He spoke with deep disrespect for the rules.
- open disrespect
- The students showed open disrespect to the substitute teacher.
- disrespect toward elders
- In many cultures, disrespect toward elders is frowned on.
Synonyms and how they differ
- contempt
- Contempt is stronger and suggests you think someone is worthless, while disrespect can be mild.
- rudeness
- Rudeness is about bad manners, while disrespect also involves failing to value a person or rule.
- insolence
- Insolence is bold, cheeky disrespect to someone with authority.
- irreverence
- Irreverence is disrespect for things normally treated as sacred or serious, sometimes humorous.
Opposites
Word family
- disrespectful adjective
- showing a lack of respect
- disrespectfully adverb
- in a rude or disrespectful way
- respect noun
- admiration or consideration for someone
- disrespected adjective
- treated without respect
Commonly confused: disrespect or disregard? disrespect or disrespectful?
disrespect vs disregard
Disregard means to ignore or pay no attention, while disrespect means to treat someone rudely.
disrespect vs disrespectful
Disrespectful is the adjective for a person or act; disrespect is the noun for the attitude.
Practice
Which sentence is correct?
Choose one answer.
Disrespect is uncountable as a noun, so it takes no article and no plural. Disrespectful is an adjective and cannot follow great in this way.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “disrespect”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.