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1. How to disagree nicely with someone

2. How to disagree strongly with someone

1. How to disagree nicely with someone

Disagreeing with someone else's opinion is normal. How we do it can make a big difference. In this lesson, we will learn useful phrases to express your disagreement in a nice or strong manner, with examples for each case.

Being nice when you disagree helps keep the chat friendly. Here’s how:

  1. Say something nice first:
    • I get your point, but...
    • You’ve got some good ideas, however...
    • I can see what you mean, but....
  2. It’s okay to not know everything while still giving your opinion about something:
    • I might not have all the facts, but...
    • You know a lot about this, though I feel....
  3. Share your side:
    • From my side...
    • Looking at it my way...
    • From my understanding..., I think....
  4. It’s hard to disagree sometimes:
    • I wish I could agree, but...
    • I wish you were right, but....
  5. Talk about when you could agree:
    • If things were a bit different, I might agree...
    • I’d agree with you if....
  6. Make your disagreement softer:
    • I see it a bit differently
    • I don’t quite agree.
  7. Ask questions instead of making statements:
    • Could it be that...?
    • What about thinking of it like this...?
    • I get your idea, however, have you thought about...?
    • I understand your point, but what if we consider....?
  8. Compare ideas:
    • This idea is good, but I think this one might be better...
    • That makes sense, but here’s another thought....

2. How to disagree strongly with someone

Sometimes, you need to be clear that you really don’t agree. Here are various expressions you can use:

  1. I really don’t agree.
  2. I see it very differently.
  3. That’s not right at all.
  4. I can’t go along with that.
  5. No way!
  6. Absolutely not!
  7. Do you really believe that?
  8. Isn’t there a better way to see this?
  9. I can’t believe you think that.
  10. Are you serious?
  11. That doesn’t add up.
  12. Here’s why that can’t be right...
  13. That makes no sense to me.
  14. This is ridiculous.

You can use boosting words like absolutely, definitely, totally, entirely, fully, etc. to make your statement even stronger.

  1. Absolutely not.
  2. Definitely not.
  3. You are totally wrong.
  4. I strongly disagree with that.
  5. I’m totally against the idea that...
  6. I fully reject the idea that...
  7. You are clearly mistaken if you think that...
  8. The argument you’re making is wholly unfounded and speculative.
  9. That is entirely unacceptable.
  10. Undeniably, your opinion lacks evidence.
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