dismay

1 of 2

verb

dis·​may dis-ˈmā 

diz-

dismayed; dismaying

transitive verb

1

: to cause to lose courage or resolution (as because of alarm or fear)

must not let ourselves be dismayed by the task before us

2

: upset, perturb

were dismayed by the condition of the building

dismay

2 of 2

noun

1

: sudden loss of courage or resolution from alarm or fear

watched with dismay as flames engulfed their home

2

a

: sudden disappointment

announced her retirement, much to the dismay of her fans

b

: perturbation sense 1

expressed dismay at his strange behavior

Synonyms of dismay

Verb

• discourage
• frustrate

Noun

• disappointment
• frustration
• dissatisfaction

Choose the Right Synonym for dismay

dismay, appall, horrify, daunt mean to unnerve or deter by arousing fear, apprehension, or aversion.

dismay implies that one is disconcerted and at a loss as to how to deal with something.

dismayed at the size of the job

appall implies that one is faced with that which perturbs, confounds, or shocks.

I am appalled by your behavior

horrify stresses a reaction of horror or revulsion.

was horrified by such wanton cruelty

daunt suggests a cowing, disheartening, or frightening in a venture requiring courage.

a cliff that would daunt the most intrepid climber

Examples of dismay in a Sentence

Verb

Her choice of career dismays her parents.

the imposing climb up the mountain dismayed us even before we got started

Noun

His comments were met with cries of dismay.

They watched in dismay as the house burned.

Much to the dismay of her fans, she announced her retirement immediately after the book's release.

To my dismay, I did not get chosen for the job.

We listened with dismay to the news of the accident.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Others were dismayed when, in 2008, Hellerstein ended an effort to force New York City government to keep searching for human remains in debris moved from ground zero to a Staten Island landfill. — ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026

In the film, Vasarhelyi expresses dismay that her husband—the father of their two kids—is signing on for the Everest expedition, especially after so many of their friends have died. — Nick Paumgarten, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026

Noun

His latest assignment is to cheer up young siblings Gabby (Xochitl Gomez, The Baby-Sitters Club) and Sebastian (Tiago Martinez), whose single mother (an underused America Ferrera) has just moved the family to a new town, much to their dismay. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2026

Fans, including many who had traveled out of state for the event, took to the comments to share their dismay over the announcement. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French desmaier, from des- dis- + -maier, from Vulgar Latin *-magare, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German magan to be able — more at may entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for dismay

• airway
• allay
• archway
• array
• ashtray
• assez
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway

Kids Definition

dismay

1 of 2 verb

dis·​may dis-ˈmā 

diz-

1

: to cause to lose courage or to feel concern : daunt

dismayed by their opponent's size

2

: upset entry 1 sense 2a, perturb

dismayed by the poor turnout

dismayingly

-iŋ-lē 

adverb

dismay

2 of 2 noun

1

: loss of courage or determination from alarm or fear

2

: a feeling of alarm or disappointment