chagrin

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noun cha·grin \ shə-ˈgrin \

Definition of chagrin

:disquietude or distress of mind caused by humiliation, disappointment, or failure

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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

Chiefs Hall of Famer Neil Smith often found himself in the right place during his playing days — to the chagrin of opposing quarterbacks.

— pete grathoff, kansascity, "Chiefs Hall of Famer Neil Smith helps woman stuck in car in flood waters," 23 Aug. 2017
And much to their chagrin, marine seismologists may lose the services of the Langseth altogether.

— paul voosen, Science | AAAS, "U.S. marine seismologists fear loss of research ship," 21 Aug. 2017
On Tuesday, after suspending its service for several hours, Uber filed an appeal and resumed operations in the Filipino capital, much to the chagrin of the LTFRB.

— david meyer, Fortune, "Uber Backs Down In Philippines Regulator Row," 16 Aug. 2017
Longtime fans of Dylan and Cole Sprouse probably know them best from The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, the Disney Channel series that followed the two twins' wild antics much to the chagrin of Moseby.

— gabe bergado, Teen Vogue, "Dylan and Cole Sprouse’s Dad Looked Just Like Them When He Was Younger," 16 Aug. 2017
THEN: In 1996, the venerable Galatoire's Restaurant installed an ice machine, much to the chagrin of regulars who previously enjoyed having their precisely mixed drinks chilled with ice that waiters had chipped by hand from blocks.

— NOLA.com, "Galatoire's and the end of an ice age in New Orleans," 3 Aug. 2017
But producing a film for $29 million is a lot easier than distributing it wide; the latter usually requires the participation of a major studio, to the chagrin of many artists like Soderbergh.

— david sims, The Atlantic, "How Logan Lucky Can Bring Back the Mid-Budget Movie," 1 Aug. 2017
Bright Netflix has begun to make its mark in the film industry, to the chagrin of cinephiles who believe that movies ought to be watched in a theater.

— eliana dockterman, Time, "These Are the Movies and TV Shows We Want to See at Comic-Con," 19 July 2017
To the chagrin of many here, most have been allowed to continue operating.

— peter whoriskey, chicagotribune.com, "Amish farmers square off against Big Organic in milk battle," 7 July 2017

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."