dispirit

American

[dih-spir-it] / dɪˈspɪr ɪt /

verb (used with object)

to deprive of spirit, hope, enthusiasm, etc.; depress; discourage; dishearten.

dispirit British

/ dɪˈspɪrɪt /

verb

(tr) to lower the spirit or enthusiasm of; make downhearted or depressed; discourage

"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

Etymology

Origin of dispirit

First recorded in 1635–45; di- ² + spirit

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.

That this foundational principle could be overlooked in the name of icons seemed to exhaust and dispirit her.

From New York Times • Aug. 6, 2020

Don’t let it dispirit you that more than half of the 128 FCS schools have already effectively been eliminated from playoff contention.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 31, 2014

This workplace is an instance of individuals caught in the grip of unproductive systems, that systematically dispirit the staff, dissatisfy the clients and make the firm less productive than it could be.

From Forbes • Jun. 23, 2011

Such disputes dispirit those who want the church to look outward and upward, not nitpick over the past.

From Economist • Apr. 28, 2011

Pall, pawl, v.i. to become vapid, insipid, or wearisome.—v.t. to make vapid: to dispirit or depress.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various

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