disreputable

adjective

dis·​rep·​u·​ta·​ble (ˌ)dis-ˈre-pyə-tə-bəl How to pronounce disreputable (audio)
Synonyms of disreputablenext
: not reputable
disreputability
(ˌ)dis-ˌre-pyə-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce disreputable (audio)
noun
disreputableness
(ˌ)dis-ˈre-pyə-tə-bəl-nəs How to pronounce disreputable (audio)
noun
disreputably
(ˌ)dis-ˈre-pyə-tə-blē How to pronounce disreputable (audio)
adverb

Synonyms of disreputable

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of disreputable in a Sentence

a disreputable Internet retailer that had a record of hundreds of complaints for shoddy merchandise and slow refunds
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
To do so means cutting ties with the disreputable agencies that got them here, and Jonah won’t do it. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 11 Jan. 2026 Her pattern was disrupted by Balthazar Blades settling himself at one end of the bar, smiling with all his disreputable charm. — Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Sep. 2025 The right flooring installer will leave you with a beautiful interior and a floor that can last for decades, while a disreputable one can bring you nothing but headaches and ongoing repairs. — Dan Simms, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026 The cultural shift that turned horror cinema from a disreputable, rarely respected grind-house film genre into a billion-dollar-a-year mainstream business has done wonders for the genre’s overall quality. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for disreputable

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1726, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disreputable was circa 1726

Rhymes for disreputable

See All Rhymes for disreputable

Browse Nearby Words

disreputability
disreputable
disreputably
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Disreputable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disreputable. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

disreputable

adjective
dis·​rep·​u·​ta·​ble (ˈ)dis-ˈrep-yət-ə-bəl How to pronounce disreputable (audio)
: not respectable : having a bad reputation
disreputableness noun
disreputably
-blē How to pronounce disreputable (audio)
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on disreputable

Nglish: Translation of disreputable for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All