disconnect
gb/dɪskənˈɛkt/ us/dɪskənˈɛkt/
B1
English
~ 8200
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B1
action
1
cut off power or connection
To remove a wire, cable, or link so that power, phone, internet, or another service stops.
Usage pattern:
to disconnect [something] from [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *'close the internet'* or *'off the internet'* instead of 'disconnect from the internet.' Also, many learners use only 'turn off' for all devices, even when no power switch is used; 'disconnect' is better when removing a cable or cutting a service.
Synonyms
unplug (Common for electrical items with a plug; more specific than general 'disconnect'.)
|
detach (Focuses on physically separating parts; not always about power or services.)
|
cut off (Often used when a service provider stops a service, sometimes sounds more sudden or harsh.)
Antonyms
connect (General opposite: to join or link things so power or communication works.)
|
hook up (Informal opposite when talking about attaching cables or starting a service.)
Collocations
disconnect the power
|disconnect the cable
|disconnect the phone
|disconnect the battery
|disconnect from the internet
|disconnect the supply
Themes
technology
|daily life
|daily_life
|communication
Examples
- Please disconnect the printer from the power before you open it.
- The technician disconnected the old router and plugged in a new one.
- My laptop keeps disconnecting from the Wi‑Fi every few minutes.
- They threatened to disconnect our water if we didn’t pay the bill.
- Make sure you disconnect the battery before working on the car’s electrical system.
Learner examples
- I disconnected my phone from the charger.
- The internet disconnected during the meeting.
- He disconnected the TV cable by mistake.
- We will disconnect the power for one hour.
- She disconnected her computer from the network.
Verb
B2
action
2
make people feel less close
To make people feel far from each other or not involved or interested in something.
Usage pattern:
to disconnect [someone] from [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners may use 'disconnect' where 'break up' or 'separate' is more natural for romantic relationships (e.g., *'They disconnected last year'* is odd; 'They broke up last year' is correct). 'Disconnect' in this sense is more about feelings and involvement, not formal relationship status.
Synonyms
alienate (Stronger and more negative; suggests making someone feel very unfriendly or rejected.)
|
distance (Often used reflexively; focuses on creating emotional or social space.)
Antonyms
engage (Opposite in terms of interest and involvement; to make people feel involved and interested.)
|
bring together (Opposite in a social sense; to make people feel closer or more united.)
Collocations
disconnect people from
|disconnect voters from
|disconnect students from learning
|disconnect leaders from reality
|disconnect workers from management
Themes
emotions
|society
|relationships
Examples
- Long working hours can disconnect parents from their children.
- The company’s new policies have disconnected senior managers from everyday staff concerns.
- Teaching only for exams can disconnect students from a real love of learning.
- Living abroad for many years sometimes disconnects people from local politics back home.
- The tone of the advertisement completely disconnected the brand from its core audience.
Learner examples
- His new job disconnected him from his old friends.
- Strict rules at work disconnected workers from their boss.
- The boring class disconnected many students from the subject.
- Too much online time can disconnect us from real people.
- Moving away slowly disconnected her from her old community.
Verb
B2
action
3
withdraw from activity or focus
To choose to stop thinking about or taking part in something, usually to rest or feel better.
Usage pattern:
to disconnect from [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with the physical sense and add an object that sounds odd, e.g., *'I disconnect my mind'* instead of 'I disconnected from work' or 'I tried to switch off.' The object is usually an activity or context, like 'work' or 'social media.'
Synonyms
unplug (Informal; commonly used about taking a break from devices or the online world.)
|
switch off (Informal; often used about mentally stopping thinking about something.)
Antonyms
tune in (Informal opposite focusing on paying attention or getting involved.)
|
immerse (Opposite in terms of mental engagement; to give full attention to something.)
Collocations
disconnect from work
|disconnect from social media
|disconnect from technology
|time to disconnect
|help people disconnect
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|health
Examples
- I try to completely disconnect from work at the weekend.
- The retreat encourages guests to disconnect from their phones and focus on nature.
- He disconnected from social media for a month to reduce stress.
- Many people find it hard to disconnect from their email after office hours.
- Taking a walk helps me disconnect from daily worries.
Learner examples
- On vacation, I like to disconnect from work.
- She disconnected from social media for a week.
- He walks in the park to disconnect from stress.
- It is healthy to disconnect from your phone sometimes.
- They disconnected from the news for a few days.
Noun
B2
state
4
gap or lack of alignment
A gap or difference between people, ideas, or things that should go together or agree.
Usage pattern:
a disconnect between [A] and [B]
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse 'difference' where 'disconnect' is more natural for things that should fit together (e.g., 'a disconnect between words and actions'). Also, 'disconnect' (noun) is sometimes wrongly used with 'of' (*'a disconnect of opinions'*) instead of the usual pattern 'a disconnect between A and B'.
Synonyms
gap (Very common and general; can refer to physical, emotional, or idea differences.)
|
mismatch (Focuses on two things not fitting together well.)
|
divide (Stronger; often used for serious social or political separation.)
Antonyms
alignment (Opposite in business or idea contexts; things fit and agree.)
|
connection (Opposite in a general sense; people or ideas are linked and understand each other.)
Collocations
a disconnect between
|clear disconnect
|huge disconnect
|cultural disconnect
|emotional disconnect
|social disconnect
Themes
business
|society
|emotions
|relationships
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- There is a clear disconnect between what the company says and what it actually does.
- The film highlights the disconnect between rich and poor in modern cities.
- Many teachers feel a disconnect between school tests and real-world skills.
- Her calm words and angry body language showed a real disconnect.
- The survey revealed a huge disconnect between management and staff expectations.
Learner examples
- There is a big disconnect between theory and practice.
- We see a disconnect between what he says and what he does.
- The news showed a disconnect between leaders and normal people.
- Social media can create a disconnect between online life and real life.
- The study found a clear disconnect between policy and reality.
Noun
technical
C1
event
5
technical loss of connection
A time when power, phone, or internet suddenly stops or is cut.
Common mistake:
Learners often use only 'problem' or 'error' in technical contexts, where 'disconnect' or 'disconnection' is the more specific word for a lost connection.
Synonyms
outage (Often used for power or service loss, usually larger or longer than a brief disconnect.)
|
dropout (Informal/technical; often used for brief losses of signal.)
Antonyms
uptime (Technical opposite; the time a system or connection is working.)
|
stable connection (Describes the desired opposite state without interruptions.)
Collocations
network disconnect
|frequent disconnects
|unexpected disconnects
|VPN disconnect
|server disconnect
Themes
technology
|business
|communication
Examples
- We experienced several disconnects during the video conference.
- The report shows a high number of VPN disconnects in the last hour.
- A brief network disconnect caused the online game to freeze.
- Users complained about random disconnects throughout the day.
- The system logs indicate a disconnect between the server and the database at 3:12 a.m.
Learner examples
- We had two disconnects during the online class.
- The game ended because of a short disconnect.
- Frequent disconnects make video calls difficult.
- There was a disconnect, and the download stopped.
- The company is working to reduce internet disconnects.
Grammar
Dictionary form
disconnect
IPA
GB/dɪskənˈɛkt/
US/dɪskənˈɛkt/
Syllables & stress
dis - con - nect (3 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (nect)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: disconnect
- 3rd Person Singular: disconnects
- Present Participle: disconnecting
- Past: disconnected
Word family
Forms
disconnects
verb
disconnecting
verb
disconnected
verb
Core family
Related words
Negative and opposite forms
unconnected
adjective
Advanced or less common
connectivity
noun
interconnect
verb
Expressions
a disconnect between A and B
1/ə dɪskənˈɛkt bɪtwˈin ə ˈænd bˈi/
fixed phrase
gap between two related things
A situation where two things that should fit or agree do not match or agree.
Examples
- There is a disconnect between what people want and what politicians offer.
- The study found a disconnect between parents’ expectations and children’s needs.
- Many young workers feel a disconnect between company values and daily practice.
disconnect from
1/dɪskənˈɛkt fɹˈʌm/
fixed phrase
separate from something
To remove yourself or something from a power source, system, activity, or group so it is no longer part of it.
Examples
- Remember to disconnect from the network before leaving the office.
- On holiday I try to disconnect from email completely.
- The campaign shows how many people feel disconnected from politics.
disconnect from reality
1/dɪskənˈɛkt fɹˈʌm ɹiˈæləti/
idiom
not aware of real life
To not understand real life, real problems, or how things truly are.
Examples
- The plan feels completely disconnected from reality.
- Critics say the leaders are disconnected from reality.
- If you never leave your bubble, you can become disconnected from reality.
emotional disconnect
1/ɪmˈoʊʃənəl dɪskənˈɛkt/
fixed phrase
lack of emotional closeness
A feeling that people are not close or do not share their feelings with each other.
Examples
- There is an emotional disconnect between the parents and their teenage son.
- Therapy helped them understand the emotional disconnect in their marriage.
- He talked about the emotional disconnect he feels from his coworkers.
feel disconnected from
1/fˈil dˌɪskənˈɛktɪd fɹˈʌm/
fixed phrase
experience lack of connection
To have the feeling that you are not close to or part of a person, group, or activity.
Examples
- Many students feel disconnected from their university community.
- She feels disconnected from her culture after living abroad.
- I sometimes feel disconnected from my own goals.
get disconnected
1/ɡˈɛt dˌɪskənˈɛktɪd/
fixed phrase
lose a connection suddenly
To suddenly lose a phone, internet, or other connection.
Examples
- If you get disconnected, just call back.
- We kept getting disconnected during the video call.
- I got disconnected right in the middle of the interview.
social disconnect
1/sˈoʊʃəl dɪskənˈɛkt/
fixed phrase
lack of social contact or belonging
A situation where someone does not feel part of a group or society, or people are not well connected to each other.
Examples
- The report warns of a growing social disconnect in big cities.
- Loneliness can come from a deep social disconnect.
- Online life sometimes increases social disconnect in the real world.