disbelieving

disbelieving — verb

1. to choose not to accept what a person says or what information tells you, even t

1.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to choose not to accept what a person says or what information tells you, even though there may be no clear proof that it is wrong — for example, disbelieving a witness's story or a politician's promise.

Example

The jury disbelieved the witness's story about what happened on the night of the fire.

passive subject: institution (the jury) disbelieving testimony

Lara disbelieved the salesman's claims after she read the online reviews.

Common collocations
  • disbelieve a claim
  • disbelieve a story
  • disbelieve an account
  • refuse to disbelieve
Synonyms
  • doubt

    softer — implies uncertainty rather than outright rejection

  • question

    implies actively challenging or seeking proof, not flat refusal to accept

  • reject as untrue

    more emphatic and explicit; less common in everyday speech

Antonyms
  • believe

    the direct opposite — accept something as true

  • trust

    implies confidence in the person or source, not just acceptance of a single claim

Grammar Patterns

disbelieve + noun phrase: a person, a claim, an account

Usage Note

Frequently occurs in formal, written, or legal contexts. In everyday conversation, the phrase 'didn't believe' is far more common and natural than 'disbelieved', which can sound stiff or overly literal.

Common Mistakes

I disbelieved him when he said he was sorry.
I didn't believe him when he said he was sorry.
'Disbelieved' is too formal for everyday emotional reactions; use 'didn't believe' instead.

disbelieving — adjective

Word family

  • disbelieve
    verbC1
  • disbelief
    nounB2
  • disbelievingly
    adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe a lack of belief, but they differ in strength and focus. 'Disbelieving' describes the visible expression — the look or tone that shows rejection of what was just said. 'Skeptical' is more intellectual: a skeptic doubts claims until evidence is supplied, but the doubt is calm and open to proof. 'Incredulous' carries surprise or shock — the person cannot quite accept what they are hearing. 'Doubtful' is the mildest, simply expressing uncertainty. 'Cynical' goes further, suggesting a habit of assuming the worst about people's motives. For example: Anjali let out a disbelieving laugh at his excuse (her face showed she didn't buy it); A skeptical scientist asked for the raw data (she wanted proof); He was incredulous that the price had tripled (he couldn't believe his ears); I'm doubtful that the plan will work (I'm just not sure); A cynical voter assumes all politicians break their promises (it's a worldview).

skeptical ↗incredulousdoubtful ↗cynical ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

Etymology

LatinOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Formed in English by adding the prefix 'dis-' (meaning 'not' or 'opposite of', from Latin) to the verb 'believe'. 'Believe' comes from Old English 'belyfan' or 'gelēfan', which traces back through Germanic roots to the same Indo-European source as Latin 'libet' (it is pleasing) — suggesting an original sense of 'to hold dear' or 'to trust'. Adding the negative prefix reversed the meaning to 'to not hold as trustworthy'.