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to indispose

to indispose

18 8.3
To make someone unable or unwilling to do something because they feel unwell
  • verb
  • /ˌɪndɪˈspoʊz/
translation icon : indisponer
  • After catching a cold, he was indisposed for several days and missed work.

Examples

  • The good doctor is indisposed at the moment.

  • When the king is abroad or otherwise indisposed, it is Ba who stands in his place.

    Academic text (1993)
  • Lying here, indisposed, you must have had time to consider the problem.

  • Since Mama was indisposed, we could do whatever we wanted, and we had the run of the town, just like boys.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • He's indisposed at the moment.

  • I was a trifle indisposed for a while there.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Since Mrs. Higgins is, uh, indisposed, I mean.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Mr. Mayhew is indisposed at the moment.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Although I was temporarily indisposed due to the loss of my office door key, I wasn't helpless.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • During the whole of this day, he was perceptibly indisposed, and spent the night with some degree of restlessness, but on the following day he was perfectly well.

    Academic text (1996)

Synonyms

to disincline
vsto indispose
  • Formal
7.9

To make someone not want to do something

makes someone unable or unwilling because of illness or poor health
to incommode
vsto indispose
  • Archaic
9.9

To bother someone by causing them trouble or discomfort

makes someone unable or unwilling often due to illness rather than mere discomfort

Antonyms

459 2.3

To give someone the ability or chance to do something

to dispose
  • Formal
20 6.6

Make someone likely to do or accept something

How Unable

to debilitate
20 7.7
to indispose
18 8.3
to deter
94 5.6
to discourage
257 3.5

Surface Forms

indispose infinitive
indisposing present participle
indisposes third person singular
indisposed past
indisposed past participle

Morphology

indispose = dispose (semi-transparent) = in + dispose

The negative/privative prefix 'in-' plus 'dispose' suggests 'not inclined' or 'make someone not disposed', but the common sense 'make unwell' or idiomatic uses are not fully predictable for average learners.

Etymology

Indispose is formed from the start in- meaning 'not' and dispose, which meant 'to arrange' or 'to make ready'. So to indispose someone is to make them 'not ready' — for example 'ill' or unwilling to do something.