English Reference
Noun

disapproval

n. uncountable
B2 Upper Intermediate US /dɪsəˈpɹuvəɫ/ UK /dˌɪsɐpɹˈuːvəl/ dis·ap·proval UK spelling disapprovals

n.the feeling that you do not like or agree with something. You show this when you think someone's behavior is wrong or bad.

n.the expression or feeling of an unfavourable opinion; a lack of acceptance regarding someone's actions or beliefs.


SIMPLE

She looked at his messy room with clear disapproval.

CONTEXTUAL

The proposed tax increase met with strong disapproval from local business owners during the town hall meeting.

COMPLEX

Despite the public's vocal disapproval of the new legislation, the committee moved forward with the vote, citing long-term economic stability as their primary justification.

Usage

Often paired with the preposition 'of' to indicate the object of the negative opinion.

Pitfall
his disapproval for the planhis disapproval of the plan

The noun disapproval almost always takes the preposition 'of' rather than 'for' or 'to'.

Again they have shown disapproval at Barcelona’s behaviour in their pursuit of Álvarez.

The Guardian· 1 Sept 2026

I’m not leading a movement.” The global disapproval of teenagers’ use of tech needs to be tempered by an understanding that it is going to remain a core part of their culture, she argues.

The Guardian· 16 Jul 2026

From dis- + approval.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated