Disrepute means having a bad reputation or being thought of poorly by others. When something falls into disrepute, people lose respect for it or start viewing it negatively.

A business might fall into disrepute after customers discover it's been selling faulty products. A once-popular theory in science can fall into disrepute when new evidence proves it wrong. If a student is caught lying repeatedly, they might bring themselves into disrepute among their classmates and teachers.

The word carries a sense of damage that's hard to repair. Disrepute means a widespread loss of good standing among many people or within a community. A restaurant in disrepute struggles to attract customers because word has spread about problems. A politician in disrepute has lost the public's trust.

You might hear someone say a certain practice has “fallen into disrepute,” meaning people who once accepted it now reject it. The opposite would be having a good reputation or being in good standing. While one mistake might damage your reputation temporarily, disrepute suggests something more serious: a pattern of problems that makes others question whether you should be trusted or respected at all.