dishearten

verb

dis·​heart·​en (ˌ)dis-ˈhär-tᵊn 

disheartened; disheartening; disheartens

transitive verb

: to cause to lose hope, enthusiasm, or courage : to cause to lose spirit or morale

were disheartened by the news

dishearteningly

(ˌ)dis-ˈhärt-niŋ-lē 

-ˈhär-tᵊn-iŋ-

adverb

disheartenment

(ˌ)dis-ˈhär-tᵊn-mənt 

noun

Synonyms of dishearten

• discourage
• frustrate

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

As for the media coverage surrounding his death, the false narratives are disheartening and disrespectful to the legacy of a wonderful man. —Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025

Arsenal go into the break disappointed, but not disheartened. —James McNicholas, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025

Add a breast cancer diagnosis—with its potential surgeries, scars and treatment side effects—and the pressure to conform to outdated beauty standards can feel disheartening. —Tabitha Britt, Flow Space, 30 Oct. 2025

Anta, the son of Cuban and Colombian immigrants, says he's disheartened by the images. —NPR, 29 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for dishearten

• carton
• garten
• marten
• parton
• quartan
• spartan
• tartan
• kindergarten

Kids Definition

dishearten

verb

dis·​heart·​en (ˈ)dis-ˈhärt-ᵊn 

: to deprive of courage and hope : discourage

disheartening

-ˈhärt-niŋ, 

-ᵊn-iŋ

adjective

dishearteningly

-lē 

adverb

disheartenment

-ˈhärt-ᵊn-mənt 

noun