Synonyms

dishearten

American

[dis-hahr-tn] / dɪsˈhɑr tn /

verb (used with object)

to depress the hope, courage, or spirits of; discourage.

Synonyms:

dismay , dispirit , deject , daunt

dishearten British

/ dɪsˈhɑːtən /

verb

(tr) to weaken or destroy the hope, courage, enthusiasm, etc, of

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

disheartener noun
dishearteningly adverb
disheartenment noun

Etymology

Origin of dishearten

First recorded in 1590–1600; dis- ¹ + hearten

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 news was good, but also disheartening: Toyota Motor was planning to build its first stand-alone factory in the U.S., but her state wasn’t in consideration.

From The Wall Street Journal

Ashley Maggs, Jersey Airport's operations director, said the situation was disheartening but that it was working to ensure people travelling were not displaced.

From BBC

A pair of jeans could easily be a size 10 by one brand and a size 14 in another, leaving customers confused and disheartened.

From BBC

"Instead of openness, cooperation and outward focus, the environment has too often felt toxic, exclusionary and deeply disheartening."

From BBC

"It's so disheartening that politicians seem unable to learn the lessons from a decade of social media."

From BBC

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