disoblige

C2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˌdɪsəˈblaɪdʒ/ UK /ˌdɪsəˈblaɪdʒ/ See IPA manual

Freq #404888

Meanings

1

verb
to inconvenience or disappoint someone by refusing a request or failing to accommodate their wishes

She hated to disoblige her hosts, but she could not stay another night.
2

verb
dated: to offend or alienate someone through discourtesy or an unkind act

His public rebuke disobliged several long-standing supporters.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to inconvenience or... inconvenience disappoint deny refuse

2 verb · dated: to offend or... offend alienate annoy antagonize

Opposites

oblige accommodate please assist

Word family

Forms disobligeddisobliging

Derived forms disobligerdisobliging

Related forms oblige obliging obligation

Etymology

From Middle French desobliger, later understood in English as dis- + oblige. The family ultimately goes back to Latin obligare ("to bind"). An earlier sense, "release from an obligation," developed into "fail to oblige" and hence "inconvenience or offend."

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# disoblige

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˌdɪsəˈblaɪdʒ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌdɪsəˈblaɪdʒ/
**Frequency rank:** 404888

## Meanings
1. to inconvenience or disappoint someone by refusing a request or failing to accommodate their wishes
2. dated: to offend or alienate someone through discourtesy or an unkind act

## Examples
- She hated to disoblige her hosts, but she could not stay another night.
- His public rebuke disobliged several long-standing supporters.

## Synonyms
- inconvenience
- disappoint
- offend
- alienate
- annoy
- antagonize

## Antonyms
- oblige
- accommodate
- please
- assist

## Derived Forms
- disobliger
- disobliging

## Related Forms
- oblige
- obliging
- obligation

## Etymology
From Middle French desobliger, later understood in English as dis- + oblige. The family ultimately goes back to Latin obligare ("to bind"). An earlier sense, "release from an obligation," developed into "fail to oblige" and hence "inconvenience or offend."

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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