disconsolate
Americanadjective
-
without consolation or solace; hopelessly unhappy; inconsolable.
Loss of her pet dog made her disconsolate.
- Synonyms:
- miserable, sorrowful, melancholy, sad, dejected, heartbroken
-
characterized by or causing dejection; cheerless; gloomy.
disconsolate prospects.
- Synonyms:
- miserable, sorrowful, melancholy, sad
adjective
-
sad beyond comfort; inconsolable
-
disappointed; dejected
Related Words
See desolate.
Other Word Forms
- disconsolately adverb
- disconsolateness noun
- disconsolation noun
Etymology
Origin of disconsolate
1325–75; Middle English < Medieval Latin disconsōlātus, equivalent to Latin dis- dis- 1 + consōlātus consoled, past participle of consōlārī to console 1; -ate 1
Explanation
If you are sad and can't be cheered up, you're disconsolate. Why were you disconsolate after scoring a touchdown? Oh...it was for the other team. In addition to meaning "inconsolable," the adjective disconsolate can also mean "dejected." Most people would be disconsolate after being laid off from a job, losing a beloved pet, or missing out on tickets to see a favorite band play live. This word ultimately derives from the Latin verb consolari, meaning "to cheer (someone) up or offer comfort to."
Vocabulary lists containing disconsolate
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Marianne is first consumed by her own infatuation, then disconsolate when Willoughby dumps her for an heiress, and finally felled by a fever.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025
Roma's disconsolate technical director Florent Ghisolfi talked to the press after the defeat.
From BBC • Nov. 15, 2024
He’d always been change-averse; when I rearranged the furniture in our Ohio family room when Aaron was about 6, he was disconsolate, wailing for days like King Lear in the storm: “Why is everything different?”
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2024
Looking disconsolate as he tried to process the loss while sitting on his chair, Medvedev managed to give a thumbs-up to the crowd when they applauded his efforts.
From BBC • Jan. 28, 2024
“Oh, great,” Katz said and gave a ruptured, disconsolate sigh.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
