disobey

IPA/ˌdɪsəˈbeɪ/
KK[dˌɪsəbˈe]IPA/ˌdɪsəˈbeɪ/

disobey — verb

  • disobeypresent simple I / you / we / they
  • disobeyshe / she / it
  • disobeyedpast simple
  • disobeying-ing form

1. to choose not to follow a rule, an order, or what someone in authority has asked

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to choose not to follow a rule, an order, or what someone in authority has asked you to do.

Example

Benjamin disobeyed his father and stayed at the skate park until midnight.

disobey + [person] — child ignoring a parent's instruction

Soldiers who disobey a direct order from their commander can face a military trial.

disobey + [order] — formal authority context

Common collocations
  • disobey an order
  • disobey a rule
  • disobey the law
  • openly disobey
  • deliberately disobey
  • disobey one's parents
Synonyms
  • defy

    stronger; open and deliberate challenge, often public

  • flout

    formal; ignore a rule openly with no fear of punishment

  • ignore

    broader; covers any instruction or signal, not only authority

  • rebel

    intransitive; usually about long-term resistance, not a single act

Antonyms
  • obey

    direct opposite — do what you are told

  • comply

    more formal; follow a rule or request

  • follow

    neutral; act in line with instructions or rules

Grammar Patterns

disobey + [person/rule/order]

disobey (intransitive)

Usage Note

Object is usually a person in authority (parent, teacher, officer), a rule, a law, or an order — not a request between equals. Used intransitively when the act of refusing is the focus rather than what was refused.

Common Mistakes

I disobeyed to wake up early.
I refused to wake up early.
'disobey' takes a person or rule as object, not a to-infinitive.
She disobeyed against her boss.
She disobeyed her boss.
no preposition; the person is a direct object.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four describe refusing to act in line with a rule or instruction, but they differ in tone and scope. 'Disobey' is the everyday, neutral word — a child disobeys a parent, a soldier disobeys an order. 'Defy' is stronger and more public: you defy someone face-to-face, often as an open challenge ('She defied the judge in open court'). 'Flout' is formal and usually targets rules or conventions rather than people, and carries a note of contempt ('flout the dress code', 'flout international law'). 'Ignore' is the broadest and weakest — you can ignore a warning, a sign, or a piece of advice without any clear authority being involved. So a teenager who skips class disobeys the school, defies the principal, flouts the attendance policy, and ignores the late-slip warning.

disobey ↗defy ↗flout ↗ignore ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • disobey a direct order
  • disobey the law
  • disobey one's parents

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

From Old French 'desobeir', built on the prefix 'des-' (meaning the reverse of) plus 'obeir' (to obey), which itself came from Latin 'oboedire' — literally 'to listen toward'. English borrowed the verb in the late 1300s, keeping the basic idea that to disobey is to turn your ear away from the voice telling you what to do.