Synonyms

dismayed

American

[dis-meyd] / dɪsˈmeɪd /

adjective

thoroughly disheartened, as by sudden danger or trouble.

When he was sick and in prison, and the non-cooperation movement ebbed, Gandhi was not dismayed or discouraged.
surprised and disillusioned or disappointed.

Many were dismayed at the way the ad trivialized the Tibetan people's struggle for freedom and survival.
alarmed or perturbed.

As a teacher in a K-8 school, I am extremely dismayed at the talk of more unstable funding for education.

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of dismay.

Other Word Forms

dismayedness noun
undismayed adjective

Etymology

Origin of dismayed

dismay ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

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.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, said he was "dismayed" by reports of the air strikes and civilian casualties.

From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026

Seeing Samary revealed as the coup spokesman, Tévoédjrè was dismayed to realize he had sent a mutineer to stop a mutiny.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

Marshall brokered a cease-fire between a dismayed Chiang and gleeful Communists in January 1946: It was meant to last for two weeks but “became a four-month truce that changed the course of the civil war.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

The new sentence dismayed those who hoped López Serrano would soon be brought back to Mexico to stand trial.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2026

“But I have no food either,” I answered, dismayed.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

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