Disapproving

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Characterized by a tendency to reject or condemn actions or beliefs that do not meet certain standards of approval or acceptance
2. Reflecting a critical view regarding the qualities or behaviors of others, often leading to negative evaluations or judgments
3. Showing or indicating a negative judgment or objection toward someone or something

Etymology: The verb "disapprove" is built from two parts, and the second is the more interesting one. "Approve" came into English through Old French "aprover" from Latin "approbare", which meant "to test, to show to be good," built from "ad" ("to") and "probare" ("to test or prove"). So the root idea is proving something worthy by testing it. "Probare" is also the ancestor of the English "probe" and "probable," so the thread of testing and proof runs through a surprising range of words. "Disapprove" adds the Latin prefix "dis-", meaning "apart" or "the reverse," to reverse that act of testing and finding something worthy. To disapprove is to find something lacking. The present participle "disapproving" carries that sense into descriptions of people: a disapproving look is the face of someone who has tested your conduct and found it wanting.

Synonyms: critical, censorious

Antonyms: approving, supportive