disobey, v.
(dɪsəʊˈbeɪ)
Also 4 des-, 4–6 dys-; 5 dyshobeye.
[a. F. désobéir (13th c. in Hatz.-Darm.) = Pr. desobedir, It. disubbidire:—Romanic dis-, desobēdīre, for late L. inobēdīre, f. dis- 4 + L. obēdīre to obey.]
1. intr. To be disobedient; not to obey.
This is the original use as in Fr., but most late instances are perhaps absolute uses of the transitive sense 2.
| 1393 Gower Conf. I. 86 Þerof woll I desobeie. 1539 Tonstall Serm. Palm Sund. (1823) 26 Pride..makethe hym that disobeyeth to contemne to obey. 1667 Milton P.L. iii. 203 Man disobeying, Disloyal breaks his feältie. 1727–38 Gay Fables i. xx. 24 His bosom burn'd to disobey. 1781 Cowper Hope 315 If..some headstrong hardy lout Would disobey. 1886 Ruskin Præterita I. 424 The wish to disobey is already disobedience. |
† b. Const. to, unto [= F. désobéir à or dat.].
| 14.. Circumcision in Tundale's Vis. 88 Eyretykes that falsly dysobey To holy chyrche. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour (1868) 59 She..disobeyed to God and felle in his yre. 1502 Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W. 1506) i. ii. 12 Whan Adam & eue..dysobeyed unto god. 1525 Ld. Berners Froiss. II. xxxiii. 97 Moche of his people disobeyed to serue hym. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 35 We..disobey to theyr commaundementes. |
2. trans. [The object represents an earlier dative: cf. F. il me désobéit, he disobeys (to) me.] To refuse or neglect to obey (any one); to neglect wilfully, transgress, or violate, the commands or orders of (a person in authority, a law, etc.); to refuse submission to.
| 1393 Gower Conf. I. 338 Her owne liege..That hem forsoke and disobeide. Ibid. III. 50 Ther might nothing hem disobey. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour (1868) 60 He toke and ete thereof, for he wolde not disobeie her. 1470–85 Malory Arthur xvi. xi, It were wel done..that ye dishobeye not the auysyon. 1512 Act 4 Hen. VIII, c. 20. §2 Mysgoverned persons disobeyeng your lawes. c 1532 G. Du Wes Introd. Fr. in Palsgr. 1048 Nat be wyllyng to disobey you. 1632 J. Hayward tr. Biondi's Eromena 59 Seeing no meanes of disobeying the winds, they gave their violence way. 1667 Milton P.L. v. 611 Him who disobeyes Me disobeyes. 1797 Mrs. Radcliffe Italian ii, Where is the principle which shall teach you to disobey a father? 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) V. 79 The chief magistrate..will punish those who disobey God and the law. |
Hence disoˈbeying vbl. n. and ppl. a.
| 1649 Jer. Taylor Gt. Exemp. i. ii. 73 Every disobeying person that payes the penalty. |