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

Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi - who had been mediating this week's US-Iran nuclear talks - said he was "dismayed".

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026

Pharmaceutical industry leaders had publicly hailed Pazdur’s appointment as drugs chief, praising his years of expertise and scientific acumen, and were dismayed by his departure.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

She’d begun to wear rimless gold eyeglasses that magnified her eyes, making her look even more perpetually dismayed than she already was.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

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