dis-

Usage

• dissident

  A dissident is someone who disagrees publicly with a government, especially in a country where this is not allowed.

• disburse

  To disburse is to pay out money, usually from a large fund that has been collected for a specific purpose.

• disquiet

  When someone feels disquiet about a situation, they feel very worried or nervous.

• disseminate

  To disseminate something, such as knowledge or information, is to distribute it so that it reaches a lot of people.

• discursive

  A piece of writing is discursive if it includes a lot of information that is not relevant to the main subject.

• disingenuous

  Someone who is disingenuous is not straightforward or is dishonest in what they say or do.

• disparate

  Things that are disparate are clearly different from each other and belong to different groups or classes.

• discern

  When you discern something, you notice, detect, or understand it, often after thinking about it carefully or studying it for some time.

• indiscreet

  Someone who is indiscreet shows lack of judgment, especially because they say or do things in public that should only be said or done privately—if at all.

• disconcert

  If something disconcerts you, it makes you feel anxious, worried, or confused.

• dissonance

  Dissonance is an unpleasant situation of opposition in which ideas or actions are not in agreement or harmony; dissonance also refers to a harsh combination of sounds.

• discordant

  A situation or thing that is discordant does not fit in with other things; therefore, it is disagreeable, strange, or unpleasant.

• disaffected

  A disaffected member of a group or organization is not satisfied with it; consequently, they feel little loyalty towards it.

• disinter

  When someone disinters a dead body, they dig it up; likewise, something disinterred is exposed or revealed to the public after having been hidden for some time.

• discomfit

  If something discomfits you, it makes you feel embarrassed, confused, uncomfortable, or frustrated.

• disparage

  If you disparage someone or something, you say unpleasant words that show you have no respect for that person or thing.

• dissemble

  When people dissemble, they hide their real thoughts, feelings, or intentions.

• disinterested

  Someone does something in a disinterested way when they have no personal involvement or attachment to the action.

• dissension

  Dissension is a disagreement or difference of opinion among a group of people that can cause conflict.

• disabuse

  If you disabuse someone of an idea or notion, you persuade them that the idea is in fact untrue.

• demise

  A demise can be the death of someone or the slow end of something.

• disarray

  When you are in a state of disarray, you are disorganized, disordered, and in a state of confusion.

• discombobulated

  When you are discombobulated, you are confused and upset because you have been thrown into a situation that you temporarily cannot handle.

• disconsolate

  If you are disconsolate, you are very unhappy or so sad that nothing will make you feel better.

• discrepancy

  When there is a discrepancy between two sets of data, there is a difference or disagreement among them—despite the fact that they should be the same.

• discrete

  Discrete objects are completely unconnected to one another, so each one is separate and individual.

• disdain

  You show disdain towards another person when you despise what they do, or you regard them as unworthy of your notice and attention.

• disentangle

  When you disentangle a knot or a problem, you untie the knot or get yourself out of the problem.

• disillusion

  When you disillusion someone, you show that a belief they hold dear is untrue—thereby disheartening and disappointing them.

• disincentive

  A disincentive to do something does not encourage you to do that thing; rather, it restrains and hinders you from doing it.

• dismantle

  When you dismantle something, you take it apart or destroy it piece by piece.

• disparity

  When there is a disparity between two things, they are not of equal status; therefore, they are different or unlike in some way.

• dispel

  When you dispel a thought from your mind, you cause it to go away or disappear; when you do the same to a crowd, you cause it to scatter into different directions.

• disposition

  Your disposition is your personality, the way you tend to react to the various events in your life, and the mood that you generally have.

• dissuade

  When you dissuade someone, you discourage or prevent them from doing something.

• distortion

  When something is subjected to distortion, it is twisted out of shape in some way.

• indispensable

  An indispensable item is absolutely necessary or essential—it cannot be done without.

• predispose

  If someone is predisposed to something, they are made favorable or inclined to it in advance, or they are made susceptible to something, such as a disease.

• discriminate

  The ability to discriminate between things allows you to notice or be aware of differences.

• disposed

  When you are disposed towards a particular action or thing, you are inclined or partial towards it.

• disclaimer

  A disclaimer is a legal statement that declares a refusal to accept responsibility in case something bad happens when a product is used.

• disrupt

  When you disrupt something that is happening, you interrupt, upset, or disturb it in some way.

• dispute

  A dispute is a disagreement or argument about something.

• disintegrate

  When something disintegrates, it crumbles, falls apart, or breaks down into separate pieces.

• distinctive

  Distinctive qualities set people or things apart from everyone or everything else—they are what make people or things different or unique.

• distraught

  If you are distraught about a situation, you are very upset or worried about it.

• disport

  When people disport, they entertain or divert themselves for the sake of amusement.

• disorder

  If a place is in disorder, it is not neat and clean; nothing is how it should be.

• disease

  A disease is a sickness or illness, such as diabetes or cancer.

• discussion

  A discussion is a talk that you have with one or more people.

• discover

  When you discover something, such as a new idea or thing, you learn about it or find it for the first time.

• displace

  When one thing displaces another, it takes its position or place and forces that other thing to leave.

• dismiss

  When you dismiss someone, you send them away.

• distant

  Something distant is far off or far away from something else.

• distract

  You distract someone by drawing that person’s notice away from one thing to something else.

• distribute

  When you distribute something, you hand it out or spread it around to a number of people.

• dissimilar

  When one thing is dissimilar to another thing, it is not like it or is not the same as it.

• defer

  If you defer the occurrence of something, you delay it to a later point in time.

• disband

  cause to break up or cease to function

• disengaged

  Not engaged; free from engagement; at leisure; free from occupation or care; vacant.

• disheartened

  made less hopeful or enthusiastic

• dislocate

  move out of position

• dissociate

  To separate from fellowship or union; to disunite; to disjoin; as, to dissociate the particles of a concrete substance.

• dissolve

  become weaker