verb

desaprobar

disapprove

Desaprobar is a Spanish verb with two main meanings:

To disapprove of, reject, or oppose something
It expresses a negative judgment about an action, proposal, decision, or behavior.
- El comité desaprobó la propuesta. — “The committee rejected/disapproved of the proposal.”
To fail an examination or course
In many Latin American countries, especially Argentina, desaprobar means “to fail” a test, exam, or subject.
- Desaprobó el examen. — “He/She failed the exam.”

In Spain, suspender is more commonly used for “to fail an exam,” while reprobar is also common in several Latin American countries.

Desaprobar is a regular, transitive verb ending in -ar. It is formed from the prefix des- and aprobar , “to approve” or “to pass.”

The prefix des- often indicates reversal, negation, or removal. Thus, desaprobar literally conveys the idea of “not approving.”

Common forms include:

The verb changes its stem vowel from o to ue in stressed forms, as in desapruebo and desaprueba.

Synonyms:

rechazar — to reject; usually stronger and more definitive than desaprobar
criticar — to criticize; focuses on expressing negative opinions rather than formally rejecting something
oponerse — to oppose; emphasizes active resistance
censurar — to condemn or censure; generally more formal or severe

Antonyms:

aprobar — to approve or accept; the direct opposite
aceptar — to accept; more neutral and not necessarily an official approval
respaldar — to support or endorse; stronger than simply not rejecting something