disobey

verb

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

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.
The judge, Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, rebuked Apple for thwarting a previous ruling in the lawsuit and said the company needed to be stopped from further disobeying the court. Tripp Mickle, New York Times, 1 May 2025 She was taken to Troop A in Southbury and charged with engaging police in pursuit, interfering with an officer, disobeying the signal of an officer, operation of a motor vehicle under suspension and operation of a motor vehicle without minimum insurance. Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2025 But the soldiers disobeyed, legislators pushed past guns to vote down the declaration, and thousands of protesters filled the streets. E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2025 The driver was issued a citation for disobeying the crossing gates, Pieritz said. Samantha Moilanen, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2025 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 4 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

disobey

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

More from Merriam-Webster on disobey

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