1
as in dislike
a strong feeling of not liking or approving
made no attempt to hide his disfavor of his wife's relatives
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disapproval
refusal to accept as right or desirable
their suggestion was met with disfavor by virtually all of the other club members
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disadvantage
the negative result caused by something that creates difficulty for achieving success
the defendant certainly acted to his own disfavor with his frequent outbursts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to dislike
to feel dislike for
a style of stage acting that is disfavored by most theatergoers today
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to criticize
to hold an unfavorable opinion of
polls showing that this political candidate is highly disfavored by most voters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of disfavor
Foreign Affairs, 21 Oct. 2025
Given Franklin’s disfavor in London, William could expect no promotion.
—Stacy Schiff, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
Dan Daley, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
No apportionment plan or individual district shall be drawn with the intent to favor or disfavor a political party or an incumbent.
—Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disfavor
Noun
Brendan Carr, the chair of the Federal Communications Commission, boasted on Fox News that the FCC would keep ramping up its efforts to punish outlets the administration disfavors.
—Foreign Affairs, 21 Oct. 2025
Given Franklin’s disfavor in London, William could expect no promotion.
—Stacy Schiff, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
Those amendments were designed to stop partisan gerrymandering and require that maps not be drawn to favor or disfavor a political party or incumbent.
—Dan Daley, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
No apportionment plan or individual district shall be drawn with the intent to favor or disfavor a political party or an incumbent.
—Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disfavor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disfavor
Noun
-
Arati Menon, global digital director and therefore no Luddite, dislikes in-flight Wi-Fi altogether.—
Charlie Hobbs,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 May 2026
-
Now, Lucila works as a nanny for a Spanish woman who doesn’t much hide her dislike for Latin American workers.—
Carlos Aguilar,
IndieWire,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
April 29Trump’s approval rating dipped two points from March, to 40%, and his disapproval rating increased five points, to 56%, according to the latest Emerson College survey of 1,000 likely voters conducted April 24-26 (the poll has a margin of error of 3).—
Sara Dorn,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
The reason for that design is to give the voters the opportunity to communicate their disapproval of the legislature’s act in proposing the constitutional amendment in the first place.—
Noah Feldman,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Democrats view the open-seat contest as one of their better statewide opportunities in years, though the party still faces structural disadvantages in turnout during nonpresidential elections.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
16 May 2026
-
Ukraine is also facing its own infantry shortage and recruitment issues after starting at a manpower disadvantage compared to Russia.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Inspired by true events, LifeHack follows Kyle and his crew of digital Robin Hoods who hack scammers and steal from people the internet loves to hate, working from the comfort of their bedrooms.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
15 May 2026
-
What smells do earwigs hate the most?—
Dan Simms,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Messi seemed to scold La Familia at one point with a finger wag aimed in their direction, showing his displeasure with their protest.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
18 May 2026
-
Former Bellator champion Corey Anderson and former UFC veteran Brian Kelleher both expressed displeasure with the main event.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
While the emotional weight of a mother defending her child is undeniable, supporters of Save Girls’ Sports argue compassion for one athlete should not come at the expense of opportunities for other young women.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
-
The state would manage all medical insurance — more efficiently and at less consumer expense, advocates insist.—
George Skelton,
Mercury News,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
The Soros’ announcement did not say how the foundations will define antisemitism — a point of contention on college campuses and in state legislatures where debates have raged over whether criticism of Israel amounts to hatred of Jewish people.—
James Pollard,
Fortune,
13 May 2026
-
The movie thus offers a complaint about the end results of Putinism, not about the ideas—the emotions, the enthusiasms, the resentments, the hatreds—that brought it about.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Political observers think Talarico could surge to the fore in the primary despite, or perhaps because of, his outsider status.—
Julia Mueller,
The Hill,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Using that unscientific tool to gauge his Texas Rangers, the club after the first month of the season remains unchanged despites many changes: Average, and a stunning disappointment.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disfavor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disfavor. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
