disbelieve

/dɪsbɪˈliːv/

//dɪsbɪˈliːv// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"disbelieve" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“disbelieve” is uncommon English (frequency #52,272 among 3,470 “D” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#52,272
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To not believe; to exercise disbelief.

Corpus desk

Index EN-disbelieve · disbelieve · English

disbelieve · rank #52,272 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #52,272
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH Diogenes

Nearest frequency peer: Diogenes (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “disbelieve”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “disbelieve” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for disbelieve
PropertyValue
Headworddisbelieve
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪsbɪˈliːv/
Letters10
Frequency rank#52,272
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “disbelieve” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).disbelievefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “Diogenes” (#52,271), “dimethyl” (#52,270), “destabilization” (#52,267). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “disbelieve” is #52,272. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

disbelieve is uncommon English at frequency #52,272 among 3,470 “D” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /dɪsbɪˈliːv/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for disbelieve in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Coined circa 1640, from dis- + believe. Compare misbelieve. The correct English form is disbelieve, spelled D-I-S-B-E-L-I-E-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To not believe; to exercise disbelief.
  2. 2
    To actively deny (a statement, opinion or perception).
  3. 3
    To cease to believe.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how disbelieve appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. If you disbelieve such people, then keep disbelieving them for as long as you live or want.
  2. And the Lisbonites did not more disbelieve in, and dream less of their coming ruin, than Cecil did his, […]

Etymology

Coined circa 1640, from dis- + believe. Compare misbelieve.

Synonyms

misbelieve

Antonyms

believe

This word in other languages

descreer(Español)mécroire(Français)descrer(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "disbelieve"?
"disbelieve" is spelled D-I-S-B-E-L-I-E-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪsbɪˈliːv/.
What does "disbelieve" mean?
As a verb, "disbelieve" means: To not believe; to exercise disbelief.
How do you pronounce "disbelieve"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "disbelieve" is /dɪsbɪˈliːv/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "disbelieve"?
Coined circa 1640, from dis- + believe. Compare misbelieve. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "disbelieve", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Dostoevsky#52,281defecation#52,261cricketing#52,247copywriter#52,237

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list