disservice

noun

dis·​ser·​vice (ˌ)di(s)-ˈsər-vəs How to pronounce disservice (audio)
Synonyms of disservicenext
: ill service : harm
also : an unhelpful, unkind, or harmful act
misinformation that does a disservice to readers

Synonyms of disservice

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of disservice in a Sentence

Her comments were a disservice to those volunteers. you do a great disservice to the professionals at the day-care center when you refer to them as “babysitters”
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.
Having the musicians out of sight keeps the audience in the moment, but with music so integral to the production, keeping them unseen even at curtain call may be a disservice. — Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026 But giving him a national platform without confronting his record does a disservice to viewers and to the people of Illinois. — Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026 The Secretary of State must be objective and dedicated to voting integrity, and ignoring highly qualified candidates like Landry does great disservice to all Colorado voters. — Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 28 Sep. 2026 Insider tip Don’t leave without a browse of the boutique, though calling it that feels like doing it a disservice. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disservice

Word History

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disservice was in 1599

Rhymes for disservice

See All Rhymes for disservice

Browse Nearby Words

disserve
disservice
disserviceable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Disservice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disservice. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

disservice

noun
dis·​ser·​vice (ˈ)dis-ˈ(s)ər-vəs How to pronounce disservice (audio)
: an unhelpful, unkind, or harmful act
behavior that did a disservice to the sport
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
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
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All