dishearten
verb
dis·heart·en
(ˌ)dis-ˈhär-tᵊn 
disheartened; disheartening; disheartens
: to cause to lose hope, enthusiasm, or courage : to cause to lose spirit or morale
were disheartened by the news
Examples of dishearten in a Sentence
The conflict between their families disheartened them.
we were disheartened by the news that our grandmother was seriously ill
Recent Examples on the Web
In a disheartening blow that undermines the right of every child to receive a quality public education, the Supreme Court issued a ruling a few weeks ago allowing President Donald Trump to proceed with his plan to dismantle the Department of Education by laying off nearly half of its workforce.
—
Andrea Campbell, Time, 6 Aug. 2025
During a brief break from touring at the beginning of March, Colonel wrote to Tom Diskin, clearly disheartened by his inability to make any headway with Neal.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 5 Aug. 2025
District parent Sequoia Williams, who has been outspoken in her advocacy for better student resources, said hearing how the district was contributing toward bills for a single credit card was disheartening.
—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 28 July 2025
Numerous skilled, educated, and ambitious professionals in Africa face a disheartening reality.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for dishearten
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Andrea Campbell, Time, 6 Aug. 2025
During a brief break from touring at the beginning of March, Colonel wrote to Tom Diskin, clearly disheartened by his inability to make any headway with Neal.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 5 Aug. 2025
District parent Sequoia Williams, who has been outspoken in her advocacy for better student resources, said hearing how the district was contributing toward bills for a single credit card was disheartening.
—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 28 July 2025
Numerous skilled, educated, and ambitious professionals in Africa face a disheartening reality.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for dishearten
Cite this Entry
“Dishearten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dishearten. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dishearten
verb
dis·heart·en
(ˈ)dis-ˈhärt-ᵊn
: to deprive of courage and hope : discourage
disheartening
adjective
-ˈhärt-niŋ
-ᵊn-iŋ
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