disappointment

noun

dis·​ap·​point·​ment ˌdis-ə-ˈpȯint-mənt 

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

Synonyms of disappointment

• frustration
• dismay
• dissatisfaction
• sadness

Examples of disappointment in a Sentence

She couldn't hide her disappointment.

He's a disappointment to his parents.

Recent Examples on the Web

Apple has also had commercial disappointments, like the Vision Pro headset, and floundered on its Siri assistant. — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 25 July 2026

Darryn Peterson, Jazz I’m listing Peterson as a disappointment mostly because the bar was pretty darn high. — John Hollinger, New York Times, 24 July 2026

Jeff attributed Friday’s slide to disappointment that Intel did not announce any new foundry clients. — Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 24 July 2026

With that success on his resume, Russell went on to write and director the 1988 remake of the classic 1958 horror film The Blob, a box office disappointment and critical failure. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 24 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing disappointment

• to someone's disappointment

Rhymes for disappointment

• reappointment
• appointment
• ointment

Kids Definition

disappointment

noun

dis·​ap·​point·​ment ˌdis-ə-ˈpȯint-mənt 

1

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

2

: one that disappoints

the play was a disappointment