Words / B2

dis-uh-BAY/ˌdɪsəˈbeɪ/

To disobey is to refuse to do what a person, rule, or law tells you: disobey an order; disobey the rules. Obey is the opposite; defy is stronger; break is everyday for a rule. Pupils who disobey the fire drill still need the named sanction. Mix-up: disobey vs disagree; obey; do not write disobey for a debate with no order in the source.

Meaning

To refuse to do what a person, rule, or law tells you.

Examples

• “Pupils who disobey the fire drill still need the named sanction, the H&S brief said.”
• “Soldiers who disobey an order featured in the court martial source, which is the military sense — still name the charge.”

Good to know

disobey an order / a rule / the law. Opposite: obey. Close: defy / flout. Noun: disobedience. H&S, citizenship, and history. Refuse to follow a rule or order — name the sanction or the charge.

Near in meaning

defy, flout, ignore

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