Definition of chagrin
: disquietude or distress of mind caused by humiliation, disappointment, or failure
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chagrin was our Word of the Day on 12/31/2006. Hear the podcast!
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Examples of chagrin in a Sentence
- As many a woman has learned to her chagrin, pathological liars are brilliant at deception. —Katha Pollitt, Nation, 16 June 2003
- In World War I, to his chagrin, Eisenhower again found himself on the sidelines, performing training duties stateside while Pershing, MacArthur, and Patton earned their battle ribbons. —U.S. News & World Report, 16 Mar. 1998
- In 1628, to the chagrin of Governor William Bradford, the Pilgrims erected an 80-foot Maypole, danced around it, drank beer, and sang. —E. C. Krupp, Sky & Telescope, May 1994
- Imagine my chagrin when a whiz kid from Dayton made all A's in the first quarter while I made two B's and a C+. —John Hope Franklin, Race and History, 1989
The fact that he'd been unable to attend the funeral was a source of chagrin for Ted.
She had gained five pounds over the winter, much to her chagrin.
He decided to get a tattoo, to the chagrin of his parents.
Recent Examples of chagrin from the Web
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Last Wednesday, Governor Charlie Baker and State Police Colonel Kerry A Gilpin announced the immediate start of a vehicle tracking program, to the chagrin of troopers.
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But this is a full eight years before Swift released that song, much to the chagrin of every New Yorker ever.
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Perišić skewed a shot wide, much to the chagrin of Valero - who was unmarked in the middle of the area with the goal gaping ahead of him.
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Dean, who played Jett Rink, famously came late to the set, urinated in front of strangers, and focused on his own self-promotion, much to the chagrin of everyone around him.
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In 2014, when voters legalized recreational marijuana, a separate medical system was not developed, to the chagrin of some medical users.
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And while the property has changed hands many times since then, the path has remained — sometimes to the chagrin of real estate developers and architects.
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An event billed instead as a family-friendly picnic will take place at Lents Park in the city's southeast quadrant, much to the chagrin of those who embrace the rebellious spirit of the anti-capitalist holiday.
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Pompeo’s confirmation before the full Senate was basically assured when Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) broke with her caucus and endorsed him last Friday, much to the chagrin of her colleagues and a constellation of progressive groups.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chagrin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Chagrin comes from French, in which it means "grief," "sorrow," or essentially the same thing as our "chagrin," and in which it is also an adjective meaning "sad." Some etymologists have linked this "chagrin" with another French chagrin, meaning "rough leather or "rough skin." Supposedly, the rough leather used to rub, polish, or file became a metaphor in French for agitating situations. English-speakers have also adopted the leathery "chagrin" into our language but have altered the spelling to "shagreen."
Origin and Etymology of chagrin
French, from chagrin sad
NEW! Time Traveler
First Known Use: circa 1681
in the meaning defined above
See Words from the same yearRecent Examples of chagrin from the Web
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People with disabilities and advocates for disability rights have been particularly chagrined by one image making the rounds on social media: an upright man silhouetted against a backdrop of stars, with an empty wheelchair in the foreground.
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Free-trade advocates in the U.S., however, were chagrined at the split-screen image of Washington’s allies signing a new trade pact while the American president unveils new tariffs.
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There were announcement stunners, artful baseball cap reveals, apparent intra-family discord, flips that thrilled one program’s supporters and chagrined another’s.
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Other investment banks based in Moscow were chagrined and suspected that Deutsche owed its success to its alliance with Russian state interests.
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Many in the foreign policy establishment were chagrined at Kushner’s comments to a group of congressional interns on July 31.
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Whoever decided to start shopping Breaux or leaked the news that the club was poised to trade him before waiting on the second opinion should be chagrined.
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Gentry, who was chief of the former Southeast Bank’s private banking division at the time, was slightly chagrined.
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Today, Mr. Ager sounds slightly chagrined at his naïveté.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chagrin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of chagrin
CHAGRIN Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of chagrin for English Language Learners
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: a feeling of being frustrated or annoyed because of failure or disappointment
CHAGRIN Defined for Kids
Definition of chagrin for Students
: a feeling of being annoyed by failure or disappointment
- … curiosity soon overcame any chagrin he felt at not being allowed to pass the doorway.
- —Brian Jacques, Redwall
Learn More about chagrin
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See words that rhyme with chagrin Spanish Central: Translation of chagrin Nglish: Translation of chagrin for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of chagrin for Arabic speakers
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