dis-
dis- — prefix
1. joined to the start of a verb to name the reverse action — undoing, ending, or c
joined to the start of a verb to name the reverse action — undoing, ending, or cancelling what the base verb describes.
Otis pressed the button to disconnect the printer from the laptop.
dis- + connect = reverse the action of connecting
Camila had to dismount carefully because the horse was still moving.
dis- + mount = reverse getting onto something
The volunteers helped disassemble the wooden stage after the festival.
Please do not disturb the cat while she is sleeping in the basket.
The mechanic taught Mira how to disengage the clutch before changing gears.
- re-
names doing the action again, not reversing it: 'reconnect' rejoins after 'disconnect' separated.
文法句型
dis- + verb
用法筆記
Most productive sense — attaches to many verbs of joining, mounting, building, or activating to name the reversal. Distinguish from sense 4 (dis- meaning 'not', attached to nouns or adjectives).
常見錯誤
2. joined to a verb or noun to mean removing from someone a particular quality, ran
joined to a verb or noun to mean removing from someone a particular quality, rank, right, or thing they previously had.
The court ordered the company to disgorge the profits from the illegal contracts.
dis- + gorge = forced removal of what was taken in
Anong was disinherited after the family argument over the property in Chiang Mai.
dis- + inherit = stripped of the right to inherit
The general was disarmed and led away by the guards in front of the palace.
After the scandal, the senator was discredited and lost the support of nearly every voter.
The crew slowly disrobed the statue, lifting the cloth that had covered it for weeks.
- de-
overlaps in formal removal ('defrock' a priest = 'disrobe' of office) but tends toward technical or scientific verbs.
- en-
often grants what dis- removes: 'enable' gives capability, 'disable' takes it away.
文法句型
dis- + verb (deprive of X)
用法筆記
Often used in legal, military, or formal contexts where rights, ranks, or possessions are formally taken away. Distinguish from sense 3: sense 2 removes a thing or quality FROM the person ('disarm' = take weapons away), while sense 3 removes the person FROM a group ('disqualify' = push them out of a contest).
常見錯誤
3. joined to a verb to name the act of forcing someone or something out of a place,
joined to a verb to name the act of forcing someone or something out of a place, group, or formal position.
The school decided to disenroll the student after three terms of missed classes.
dis- + enroll = remove from a list of members
Nila was disqualified from the marathon after taking a shortcut through the park.
dis- + qualify = pushed out of a contest for breaking the rules
The committee voted to disbar Cyrus from the lawyers' association after the misconduct hearing.
Old soldiers were dismissed from the army with a small payment and a thank-you letter.
After the heated meeting, two members were disinvited from the next gathering.
- ex-
marks a former role ('ex-member') rather than the act of expelling — 'ex-' is a state, 'dis-' (sense 3) is the event.
文法句型
dis- + verb (expel from X)
用法筆記
Overlaps with sense 2 (taking away) but specifically marks expulsion from a group, list, role, or place rather than removal of an abstract quality. Distinguish from sense 2: 'disarm' (sense 2 — take weapons away) vs 'disbar' (sense 3 — expel from the bar).
常見錯誤
4. joined to the start of an adjective or noun to form a word that names the opposi
joined to the start of an adjective or noun to form a word that names the opposite quality, or the lack of it.
Emma showed her dislike of the cold weather by wearing three sweaters at once.
dis- + like (noun) = the opposite feeling
There was complete disorder in the kitchen after the children's birthday party.
dis- + order = the absence of order
Zuri felt deep dissatisfaction with the report and asked the team to redo it.
There is a clear disadvantage to renting a flat so far from the train station.
Yumi easily spotted the dishonest answers on the survey because the wording kept changing.
- (bare form)
'like' vs 'dislike', 'order' vs 'disorder', 'honest' vs 'dishonest' — the base word is the positive counterpart.
文法句型
dis- + adjective
dis- + noun
用法筆記
Attaches to nouns ('dislike', 'disorder', 'disadvantage') and adjectives ('dishonest', 'disloyal'). Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 attaches to verbs and names a reverse action; sense 4 attaches to adjectives or nouns and names an opposite quality.
常見錯誤
5. joined to the start of an adjective or verb to give the simple meaning of 'not'
joined to the start of an adjective or verb to give the simple meaning of 'not' — saying the thing does not happen or the quality does not hold.
Élise tends to disbelieve any news she reads on social media without checking the source.
dis- + believe = not believe
The teacher and the parent strongly disagree about how much homework is fair.
dis- + agree = not agree
Andrés tried to disprove his brother's claim that the bridge was unsafe to cross.
Matthew said he would disregard the email because the request was completely unreasonable.
The judge made clear she would disapprove of any attempt to delay the trial again.
- (bare form)
'agree' vs 'disagree', 'believe' vs 'disbelieve', 'approve' vs 'disapprove'.
文法句型
dis- + adjective (= not X)
dis- + verb (= not X)
用法筆記
Subtle distinction from sense 4: sense 4 names an opposite QUALITY or a contrasting noun ('dishonest', 'dislike'); sense 5 simply negates a verb of opinion or judgement ('disagree' = do not agree, 'disbelieve' = do not believe). Often the two senses blend.