Meanings
present singular third person disobeys · participle present disobeying · participle past disobeyed · past disobeyed
- intransitiveTo refuse or (intentionally) fail to obey.
Under an authoritarian regime, people have an obligation to disobey.
1 more example
The powerful Bene Gesserit sisterhood for ninety generations has been manipulating bloodlines to produce the Kwisatz Haderach, a superbeing. On Caladan, Jessica, a member of the sisterhood and the bound concubine of Duke Leto Atreides, had been ordered to bear only daughters. Because of her love for the duke, she disobeyed and gave birth to a son: Paul, Paul Atreides.
1984, 10:44 from the start, in Dune (Science Fiction), spoken by Princess Irulan, →OCLC
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Frenchdesobeir
- Englishdisobey
From Old French desobeir.
More words from Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἀπειθέω, παρακούω
- ἀπειθέω (apeithéō)to refuse to obey
- παρακούω (parakoúō)to refuse to obey
- ἀνηκουστέω (anēkoustéō)to refuse to obey
- ἀπειθέω (apeithéō)to refuse to obey an order
- παρακούω (parakoúō)to refuse to obey an order
- ἀνηκουστέω (anēkoustéō)to refuse to obey an order
Arabic عَصَى, عَصَى
- عَصَى (ʕaṣā)to refuse to obey
- عَصَى (ʕaṣā)to refuse to obey an order
Bulgarian не се подчинявам
- не се подчинявам (ne se podčinjavam)to refuse to obey
Catalan desobeir
- desobeirto refuse to obey an order
Danish nægte, nægte
- nægteto refuse to obey
- nægteto refuse to obey an order
Dutch niet gehoorzamen
- niet gehoorzamento refuse to obey an order
Esperanto malobei
- malobeito refuse to obey an order
Finnish olla tottelematon, kieltäytyä tottelemasta
- olla tottelematonto refuse to obey
- kieltäytyä tottelemastato refuse to obey an order
French désobéir, désobéir
- désobéirto refuse to obey
- désobéirto refuse to obey an order
German nicht gehorchen, missachten
- nicht gehorchento refuse to obey
- missachtento refuse to obey an order
Greek απειθώ, παρακούω
- απειθώ (apeithó)to refuse to obey
- παρακούω (parakoúo)to refuse to obey
- απειθώ (apeithó)to refuse to obey an order
- παρακούω (parakoúo)to refuse to obey an order
Hungarian engedetlenkedik
- engedetlenkedikto refuse to obey
Italian disubbidire
- disubbidireto refuse to obey an order
Latin inoboedio
- inoboedioto refuse to obey an order
Lithuanian nepaklusti
- nepaklustito refuse to obey an order
Māori tīhoihoi, takahi
- tīhoihoito refuse to obey
- takahito refuse to obey an order
- whakatīhoihoito refuse to obey an order
- whakahoihoito refuse to obey an order
Polish nie słuchać się, być nieposłusznym
- nie słuchać sięto refuse to obey
- być nieposłusznymto refuse to obey
- nie słuchać sięto refuse to obey an order
- lekceważyćto refuse to obey an order
- zlekceważyćto refuse to obey an order
Portuguese desobedecer, desacatar
- desobedecerto refuse to obey an order
- desacatarto refuse to obey an order
Scottish Gaelic eas-ùmhlaich, rach an aghaidh
- eas-ùmhlaichto refuse to obey
- rach an aghaidhto refuse to obey an order
- eas-ùmhlaichto refuse to obey an order
Spanish desobedecer, insubordinarse
- desobedecerto refuse to obey
- insubordinarseto refuse to obey
- indisciplinarseto refuse to obey
- desobedecerto refuse to obey an order
- desacatarto refuse to obey an order
Swahili kuasi
- kuasito refuse to obey
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with disobey
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
disobey. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/disobey
“disobey.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/disobey. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “disobey,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/disobey.
Source: disobey on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.