What does disagreeable mean?
"Disagreeable" is an adjective describing anything unpleasant, offensive, or hard to get along with. Applied to people, it suggests a bad-tempered or surly disposition — a disagreeable colleague is one whose manner makes interaction tiresome. Applied to things, it refers to unpleasant sensory qualities: a disagreeable smell, taste, or task. The word also retains a formal sense of reluctance, as in being disagreeable about complying with a request. It derives from the verb "agree," via "agreeable," with the negative prefix "dis-" added, tracing back through Old French "agreer" to the Latin "gratus," meaning pleasing or thankful — making it a cousin of "gratitude" and "grateful." Common in both British and American English and at home in both formal and everyday contexts, it is somewhat more literary than blunt alternatives like "nasty" or "awful," lending criticism a measured, almost genteel edge.
adjectiveUnpleasant, offensive, or causing discomfort; unwilling or reluctant to do something.
- (Of a person or their manner) unpleasant, bad-tempered, or difficult to deal with.
- (Of things, experiences, tastes, or smells) unpleasant, offensive, or causing discomfort.
- Unwilling or reluctant to do something (chiefly in the phrase "disagreeable to").
"The manager had a disagreeable habit of interrupting everyone mid-sentence."
"She found the whole business of haggling thoroughly disagreeable."
"The medicine left a disagreeably bitter aftertaste that lingered for hours."
Despite its grumpy meaning, "disagreeable" literally just means "not able to be agreed with" — it was built from "agreeable" by bolting on a Latin-style negative prefix.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of disagreeable
Disagreeable was formed in English from the adjective "agreeable" by adding the negative prefix "dis-," first appearing in writing in the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century. Its root lies in the verb "agree," which entered Middle English from Old French "agreer," itself derived from the Latin phrase "ad gratum," meaning "to please," from "gratus" (pleasing, thankful). It therefore shares its origin with words such as "grateful," "gratitude," "congratulate," and "ingratitude," all ultimately rooted in the Latin idea of favor or goodwill.
Related word forms
How disagreeable is actually used
Standard in both formal and informal registers. When applied to people, it carries a mildly judgmental tone, implying an unpleasant temperament rather than mere rudeness. The sense of "unwilling" survives chiefly in formal or slightly dated constructions such as "disagreeable to comply."
Easily confused with disagreeable
"Disagreement" is a noun referring to a difference of opinion, whereas "disagreeable" is an adjective describing someone or something unpleasant or unwilling.
"Disagree" is a verb meaning to hold a different opinion, while "disagreeable" is an adjective describing an unpleasant quality or temperament.