disservice

noun

dis·​ser·​vice (ˌ)di(s)-ˈsər-vəs 

: ill service : harm

also : an unhelpful, unkind, or harmful act

misinformation that does a disservice to readers

Synonyms

• inequity
• injury
• injustice
• raw deal
• shaft
• unfairness
• unjustness
• wrong

Examples of disservice in a Sentence

Her comments were a disservice to those volunteers.

you do a great disservice to the professionals at the day-care center when you refer to them as “babysitters”

Recent Examples on the Web

Portraying her campaign as orchestrated by anyone other than her does a disservice to voters and diminishes the leadership she’s demonstrated. —Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2025

But to see Kashmir solely through the lens of Indian-Pakistani rivalry would do the complicated conflict a disservice. —Matt Williams, The Conversation, 7 May 2025

Advisors who ignore this reality are doing their clients a disservice. —Christian Faes, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025

That said, playing Xenoblade Chronicles 2 in portable mode does do the game itself a disservice and to ignore that would be disingenuous on my part. —Ollie Barder, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for disservice

• preservice
• interservice
• nervous
• nervus

Kids Definition

disservice

noun

dis·​ser·​vice (ˈ)dis-ˈ(s)ər-vəs 

: an unhelpful, unkind, or harmful act

behavior that did a disservice to the sport