disbelief
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the feeling that you cannot believe something because it is so surprising or shocking.
a state of astonishment or shock where the mind refuses to accept the reality of an event.
Simple“She stared at the winning lottery ticket in total disbelief.”
In context“The crowd watched in stunned disbelief as the underdog team scored the winning goal in the final seconds of the match.”
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
the act of not believing that something is true, or a lack of faith in an idea.
the mental rejection of a statement or doctrine; a lack of conviction regarding the truth of a claim.
Simple“His disbelief in the new government policy was shared by many local business owners.”
In context“The scientist expressed his disbelief regarding the study's conclusions, citing a lack of rigorous peer-reviewed evidence.”
Synonyms
“Keatley added: "It's a real sense, I suppose initially of shock and absolutely of disbelief.”
“But she called her mom to come and collect her …” Ashburn laughs in disbelief at what was her daily reality.”
From dis- + belief.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.