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disable Meaning & Definition

/dɪsˈeɪbəl/

What Does Disable Mean?

Disable is used as a verb meaning To render unable; to take away an ability of, as by crippling. It is also used to mean To impair the physical or mental abilities of; to cause a serious, permanent injury. As an adjective, it means Lacking ability; unable.

Disable at a Glance

Part of speechverb, adjective
Pronunciation//dɪsˈeɪbəl//
Syllables1
Synonymsinvalid, handicap and incapacitate
Antonymsenable
Comparative / superlativemore disable, most disable
Verb formsdisables, disabling, disabled

Disable Definition (Verb)

  1. To render unable; to take away an ability of, as by crippling.
  2. To impair the physical or mental abilities of; to cause a serious, permanent injury.

    Falling off the horse disabled him.

  3. To deactivate, to make inoperational (especially of a function of an electronic or mechanical device).

    The pilot had to disable the autopilot of his airplane.

Disable as an Adjective

  1. Lacking ability; unable.

Synonyms of Disable

Disable synonyms and antonyms →

Antonyms of Disable

Disable in a Sentence

Falling off the horse disabled him.

The pilot had to disable the autopilot of his airplane.

Word Forms & Grammar

disable (third-person singular simple present disables, present participle disabling, simple past and past participle disabled)

disable (comparative more disable, superlative most disable)

Words That Rhyme With Disable

Origin of Disable

From dis- + able.

Pronouncing Disable

Disable is pronounced //dɪsˈeɪbəl// and has 1 syllable.

Disable: Your Questions Answered

Is disable a verb or an adjective?

Disable is mainly used as a verb, but it can also be used as an adjective.

What is another word for disable?

You can replace disable with words such as invalid, handicap and incapacitate. See the full list of disable synonyms and antonyms.

What is the opposite of disable?

The opposite of disable is enable.

What is the past tense of disable?

The past tense of disable is disabled. The present participle is disabling.

What are the comparative and superlative forms of disable?

The comparative form is more disable and the superlative form is most disable.

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