I frequently hear people use the word disrespected. For example, "He disrespected me." Is disrespected a word? Can someone explain exactly what is wrong with using it like that?
The noun is 'respect', and the verb is 'to respect'.
With the verb, one either 'respects someone's views' or 'doesn't respect someone's views'/ respects someone, or doesn't respect someone.
In America, they have invented the ugly verb 'to disrespect', so 'disrespected' is the Past Tense. The word is rampant among African-American males, who appear to have such low self-esteem that at the slightest whiff of it - "He disrespected me" - they need to seek redress, with a gun.