disapproval

/ˌˈdɪsəˌpruvəl/

/dɪsəˈpruvəl/

Other forms: disapprovals

Disapproval is what you express when you share your dislike or opposition. If you fail a class, you might worry both about your grade point average and also your parents' disapproval.

When you sense disapproval in your teacher's voice after you show her a draft of your research paper, you might want to start over. You might feel disapproval yourself when you see your friend spend money instead of saving it, or watch your dad feel the dog from his plate at the dinner table. Disapproval uses the "opposite of" prefix dis- with approval, from its Latin root approbare, "to regard as good."

Definitions of disapproval

1. noun

   an inclination to withhold approval from some person or group
   synonyms: disfavor, disfavour, dislike

   types:

   doghouse

   an idiomatic term for being in disfavor

   reprobation

   severe disapproval

   type of:

   disposition, inclination, tendency

   an attitude of mind especially one that favors one alternative over others
2. noun

   a feeling of disliking something or what someone is doing
   antonyms:

   approval

   a feeling of liking something or someone good

   type of:

   dislike

   a feeling of aversion or antipathy
3. noun

   the expression of disapproval
   antonyms:

   approval

   a message expressing a favorable opinion

   types:

   condemnation, disapprobation

   an expression of strong disapproval; pronouncing as wrong or morally culpable

   criticism, unfavorable judgment

   disapproval expressed by pointing out faults or shortcomings

   discouragement

   the expression of opposition and disapproval

   attack

   strong criticism

   animadversion, censure

   harsh criticism or disapproval

   demonisation, demonization

   to represent as diabolically evil

   brickbat

   blunt criticism

   carping, faultfinding

   persistent petty and unjustified criticism

   attack, blast, fire, flack, flak

   intense adverse criticism

   thrust

   verbal criticism

   potshot

   criticism aimed at an easy target and made without careful consideration

   rebuke, reprehension, reprimand, reproof, reproval

   an act or expression of criticism and censure

   slating

   a severely critical attack

   static

   angry criticism

   stricture

   severe criticism

   disheartenment

   a communication that leaves you disheartened or daunted

   dissuasion

   a communication that dissuades you

   determent, deterrence, intimidation

   a communication that makes you afraid to try something

   type of:

   content, message, subject matter, substance

   what a communication that is about something is about
4. noun

   the act of disapproving or condemning
   antonyms:

   approval

   the formal act of approving

   types:

   disparagement, dispraise

   the act of speaking contemptuously of

   condemnation

   (law) the act of condemning (as land forfeited for public use) or judging to be unfit for use (as a food product or an unsafe building)

   branding, stigmatisation, stigmatization

   the act of stigmatizing

   belittling

   the act of belittling

   denigration, deprecation

   the act of expressing disapproval (especially of yourself)

   detraction

   the act of discrediting or detracting from someone's reputation (especially by slander)

   type of:

   assessment, judgement, judgment

   the act of judging or assessing a person or situation or event