disappointment

noun dis·ap·point·ment \ ˌdis-ə-ˈpȯint-mənt \

Updated on: 25 Apr 2018

Definition of disappointment

1 : the act or an instance of disappointing : the state or emotion of being disappointed

2 : one that disappoints

he's a disappointment to his parents

See disappointment defined for English-language learners

See disappointment defined for kids

Examples of disappointment in a Sentence

She couldn't hide her disappointment.
He's a disappointment to his parents.

Recent Examples of disappointment from the Web

Some Columbine students expressed disappointment that the Connecticut organizers chose the anniversary of the 1999 massacre for their national protest.

— isabel fattal, The Atlantic, "The Post-Parkland Unity Is Officially Over," 20 Apr. 2018
This is a whole different attitude for a Pelicans’ team that had been used to mediocrity and disappointment for so long.

— OregonLive.com, "Trail Blazers links: Is it time to break up the Blazers?," 20 Apr. 2018
But that’s not stopping analysts from predicting disappointment.

— don reisinger, Fortune, "Apple’s Cash Cow Might Be in Trouble," 20 Apr. 2018
Johnson missed the cut that year and that disappointment led to a three-year hiatus from the course.

— carter karels, San Antonio Express-News, "Johnson salvages poor start in Valero Texas Open with 7-under Friday," 20 Apr. 2018
This comes as a huge disappointment to everyone who missed it the first time around, not to mention those who did catch it and want to see it all over again.

— caroline framke, Vox, "Beyoncé’s second Coachella performance will not be live-streamed," 19 Apr. 2018
Photo: Jennifer Hogan Jones Jennifer Hogan Jones, of Wichita, Kan., has argued on board-game blog Nonstop Tabletop against purposeful losing, writing that children like her daughter need to learn how to handle disappointment.

— greg bensinger, WSJ, "Why Do Parents Cheat at Family Board Games? To Lose as Fast as Possible," 18 Apr. 2018
What for some might have been a disappointment for Dire Straits fans was really a meh moment, in actuality.

— chuck yarborough, cleveland.com, "Rock Hall 2018: A look back at inductions' best, worst moments: Chuck Yarborough," 16 Apr. 2018
Yes, there’s something to be said for handling disappointment with discretion and for keeping disputes private rather than a public airing of grievances.

— jim ayello, Indianapolis Star, "Insider: Bourdais steals the show at Long Beach with fireworks on and off the track," 16 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'disappointment.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.