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# disbelief

noun (disbelief, uncountable)

«disbelief» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. The feeling of not believing that something is true or real, often because it is surprising or shocking. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/disbelief/#m1)
2. Lack of belief, for example in God. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/disbelief/#m2)

### In the lessons

In stories, characters stare «in disbelief» when something amazing or terrible happens. In reading, «suspend disbelief» means to accept a story's magic while you read. Phrases: in disbelief, shake your head in disbelief.

### Examples

- She stared in disbelief at her test score. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/disbelief/#x1)
- He shook his head in disbelief. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/disbelief/#x2)
- The crowd gasped in disbelief. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/disbelief/#x3)
- To enjoy fantasy books, you suspend disbelief. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/disbelief/#x4)
- There was disbelief when the old tree fell. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/disbelief/#x5)
- Thomas showed disbelief until he saw Jesus, the Bible says. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/disbelief/#x6)

### Note

Uncountable. «Dis-» means not. Different from «unbelief», which is used more for religious lack of faith.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «disbelief» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/disbelief/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«disbelief» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/disbelief.html) on Mova free.