disobey

verb

dis·​obey ˌdis-ə-ˈbā How to pronounce disobey (audio)
-ō-
disobeyed; disobeying; disobeys
Synonyms of disobeynext

transitive verb

: to fail to obey
disobeyer noun

Examples of disobey in a Sentence

If you disobey, you will be severely punished. The soldier disobeyed the general's orders. He was afraid to disobey his father. The driver had disobeyed the law.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That means returning to a focus on immigrants with criminal records (including those with nonviolent offenses such as illegally reentering the United States) and those who disobey deportation orders from immigration courts. Nick Miroff, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026 Still, a young kid is a young kid no matter the era, and to fulfill his wish of seeing real dinosaurs, Arco disobeys his parents. Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 6 Feb. 2026 Regulators also reviewed incidents in which the vehicles appeared to disobey traffic control devices. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 4 Feb. 2026 The country's Supreme Court of Justice removed him from office in 2017 and sentenced him to prison for disobeying a court order to remove barricades during protests against the government of then-President Nicolás Maduro. Patricia Gallagher Newberry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 31 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disobey

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French desobeir, from des- dis- + obeir to obey

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of disobey was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Disobey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disobey. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

disobey

verb
dis·​obey ˌdis-ə-ˈbā How to pronounce disobey (audio)
: to refuse, neglect, or fail to obey

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