dis·af·fect
ˌdis-ə-ˈfekt 
disaffected; disaffecting; disaffects
: to alienate the affection or loyalty of
also
: to fill with discontent and unrest
1
: the state of being disaffected : alienation of loyalty or affection : estrangement
the problem that is created by the disaffection of the intellectual … from the popular culture—
J. L. Blaw
J. L. Blaw
especially
: the state of being disaffected toward those in authority
the order caused much disaffection among the troops
2
: lack of affection : dislike, hostility, discontent
except for a few expressions of disaffection, the British people were pleased with the engagement—Current Biography
Current BiographyExamples of disaffect in a Sentence
Verb
the troops were disaffected by the extension of their tours of duty
Recent Examples on the Web
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024
Though many fans have turned their backs on the mope-rocker for his baffling anti-immigrant stance, many more have tucked their heads into the sand to hold onto the moody, disaffected lyrics that so explained our teenaged selves to us.
—Michelle Tea, Harper's BAZAAR, 7 Mar. 2023
Palm Trees is the kind of movie in which young women like Lea and her best friend, Katie, are inclined to be cool enough, disaffected enough, for the boys who don’t really care about them — who would flee at the first sight of complication — to want to keep them around.
—K. Austin Collins, Rolling Stone, 2 Mar. 2023
The year before, disaffected Republican voters in central Virginia defeated the House majority leader Eric Cantor, an oligarch if ever there was one, in a primary upset.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 10 Oct. 2022
See All Example Sentences for disaffect
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Verb
If some of those tribal environments require a measure of authoritarianism to survive, that would be fine; the disaffected could always log out in favor of a more congenial option.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024
Though many fans have turned their backs on the mope-rocker for his baffling anti-immigrant stance, many more have tucked their heads into the sand to hold onto the moody, disaffected lyrics that so explained our teenaged selves to us.
—Michelle Tea, Harper's BAZAAR, 7 Mar. 2023
Palm Trees is the kind of movie in which young women like Lea and her best friend, Katie, are inclined to be cool enough, disaffected enough, for the boys who don’t really care about them — who would flee at the first sight of complication — to want to keep them around.
—K. Austin Collins, Rolling Stone, 2 Mar. 2023
The year before, disaffected Republican voters in central Virginia defeated the House majority leader Eric Cantor, an oligarch if ever there was one, in a primary upset.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 10 Oct. 2022
See All Example Sentences for disaffect
Cite this Entry
“Disaffect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disaffect. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
disaffect
verb
dis·af·fect
ˌdis-ə-ˈfekt
: to lose the affection or loyalty of : cause discontent in
the troops were disaffected
disaffection
noun
-ˈfek-shən
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