disheartening

[ dis-hahr-tn-ing ]

adjective

1. depressing a person’s hope, courage, or spirits; discouraging:

   It's been disheartening to see some of her old habits and fears returning, even though they aren't as bad as when she was much younger.

Other Words From

• dis·heart·en·ing·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of disheartening¹

dishearten ( def ) + -ing ²( def )

Example Sentences

Asked about the incident for the latest issue of Vanity Fair, Sweeney said: "It’s very disheartening to see women tear other women down, especially when women who are successful in other avenues of their industry see younger talent working really hard - hoping to achieve whatever dreams that they may have - and then trying to bash and discredit any work that they’ve done."

From BBC

“The idea that somebody would have their ballot rejected when they’re voting for the first time is also very disheartening. We want people to have a positive first-time voting experience.”

From Los Angeles Times

She said it was "completely disheartening" that "every other day there is a report of a young woman who has lost her life through violence".

From BBC

Then Donald Trump, after running a virulently anti-transgender campaign, won the presidential election Tuesday — which felt “really frightening” and “disheartening,” Poznanski said.

From Los Angeles Times

Shopping online is just as disheartening, they lamented, because of bots programmed to hoover up products the instant they’re available.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• alarming
• astounding
• awful
• dire
• dreadful
• frightening
• frightful
• ghastly
• harrowing
• hideous
• horrible
• horrific
• shocking
• terrible
• terrifying