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Glite Dictionary
to disabuse

to disabuse

7 8.8
To show someone that a belief they have is wrong
  • verb
  • /ˌdɪsəˈbjuːz/
  • Formal
translation icon : desengañar
  • You probably thought that you were born with a fixed complement of DNA and your future was set, but I want to disabuse you of that notion.
  • quickly disabused

But how does mindfulness work to disabuse us of a scarcity mindset?

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Examples

  • So you're challenging that cogently by disabusing people of that notion.

  • Diane always thought it was his favorite meal, and he never had the heart to disabuse her.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • I felt no need to disabuse them, however.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • And it's really important not to disabuse people of that presentation too quickly.

    The Diary Of A CEO

  • Rarely does anyone disabuse the student of this conclusion.

    Academic text (1991)

  • You need to be disabused of the myth.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • So I want to start by disabusing you of a couple of myths about bugs.

  • Her foreman had soon disabused her of that notion.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Surely the discoveries of quantum mechanics should by now have disabused us of such notions.

    Blog text (20)

  • I want to disabuse you of the idea that you need to sacrifice your happiness for success.

Synonyms

to convince
vsto disabuse
∞ 2.7

Make someone believe something is true or agree to do something

persuades someone their belief is incorrect rather than confirming its truth
to persuade
vsto disabuse
472 2.7

To make someone agree or do something by giving reasons

aims to show the belief is wrong rather than to change belief generally
to refute
vsto disabuse
  • Formal
88 6.2

To show that an idea or statement is false using evidence

persuades an individual their belief is incorrect rather than proving it abstractly
to debunk
vsto disabuse
57 5.7

To show that an idea or claim is false with clear facts

persuades the person the idea is wrong rather than only exposing errors
to change someone's mind
vsto disabuse
18 3.0

Make someone think differently about something

persuades specifically to accept that a belief is wrong
to disillusion
vsto disabuse
18 6.4

To make someone realize that something they believed is not true

persuades by argument that the belief is incorrect rather than emotional loss
to disenchant
vsto disabuse
2 7.1

Make someone stop believing an idea that is not true or realistic

persuades by showing the belief is wrong rather than by magic or charm
to disconfirm
vsto disabuse
1 7.4

To show by facts that an idea or belief is not true

aims to persuade a person the belief is wrong rather than just removing evidence
to unconvince
vsto disabuse
1 9.0

Make someone stop believing something they used to think

persuades by giving reasons that the belief is wrong
to confute
vsto disabuse
  • Formal
9.9

To show a person's idea is wrong using facts or clear arguments

focuses on persuading someone the belief is wrong rather than formal proof

How Persuasive

to convince
∞ 2.7
to disabuse
  • Formal
7 8.8
to correct
483 1.0
to inform
∞ 1.0
to suggest
∞ 1.6

Surface Forms

disabuse infinitive
disabused past
disabused past participle
disabusing present participle
disabuses third person singular

Morphology

disabuse = abuse (semi-transparent) = dis + abuse

Built by productive prefix 'dis-' + 'abuse', but the current sense 'free someone from a false belief' is not a direct negation of the common meaning of 'abuse', so learners may not infer it straightforwardly.

Etymology

Disabuse comes from the parts dis- and abuse, where dis- means 'remove' and abuse once meant 'to deceive' or 'lead someone wrong'. So to disabuse someone is to 'remove' a false belief and show them the truth.