Disabuse
hardNeutral tonedis-uh-BYOOZ
verb
Definition
to free someone from a mistaken belief or illusion
Memory hook
disABUSE: you remove the 'abuse' of a false idea from someone's head, freeing them from the illusion.
Word roots
Learning roots unlocks whole word families. Study common GRE root words.
Examples
“Let me disabuse you of the notion that this job will be easy.”
“A single week on the trading floor disabused her of her romantic ideas about finance.”
Test yourself
Fill in the blank with the right word:
“Let me ______ you of the notion that this job will be easy.”
Show answer
disabuse
Synonyms
Antonyms
Categories
GRE Tip
Disabuse is a hard-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "undeceive" or "enlighten" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "deceive".
Related GRE Words
acrimonious
Bitter and sharp in language or tone; caustic
aphoristic
Containing or characterized by aphorisms; concise and memorable
aver
to state or assert to be true confidently
bombastic
High-sounding but with little meaning; inflated or pretentious language
circumlocutory
Using many words where fewer would do; roundabout in expression
compendious
Containing a lot of information in a concise form; comprehensive yet brief
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