Synonyms

disillusionment

American

[dis-i-loo-zhuhn-muhnt] / ˌdɪs ɪˈlu ʒən mənt /

noun

the loss or destruction of illusions or idealistic beliefs; the state of having lost such illusions or beliefs.

Her bitterness and disillusionment were complete when he refused to investigate the corruption she reported because he was in business with some of the people involved.

Etymology

Origin of disillusionment

disillusion ( def. ) + -ment ( def. )

Explanation

Feeling disillusionment means you're bummed out because you no longer believe in something — usually because you find out it isn't as amazing as you thought. The definition of disillusionment doesn't sound so bad: being freed from false beliefs or illusions. Well, sorry to disillusion you, but it's not so great. Disillusionment is when the hard truth of reality makes you lose faith in your dreams and ideals. Like you might have thought your internship at the movie studio would be super glamorous, but you quickly suffered some disillusionment when you realized it involved 14-hour days and lots of coffee runs.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing disillusionment

Siddhartha

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A Thousand Splendid Suns

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"Marionettes, Inc." by Ray Bradbury

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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.

As the euphoria fades and reality starts, emotions can turn to disillusionment.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026

I left that and struggled for years with the standard outcomes of intense combat service mixed with a total disillusionment and cynicism around the wars that I fought in.

From Slate • Mar. 4, 2026

She also described his growing disillusionment with the department, saying that before his death he had considered going to work for the state’s Department of Justice investigating “bad cops.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

“There is no change at all,” said Francys Machucas, a banking adviser in Caracas, whose sense of disillusionment is shared by some other Venezuelans.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 5, 2026

By the fall of 2007, Bobby’s disillusionment with Iceland was fixed.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023