dishearten

verb

dis·​heart·​en (ˌ)dis-ˈhär-tᵊn How to pronounce dishearten (audio)
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 How to pronounce dishearten (audio)
-ˈhär-tᵊn-iŋ-
adverb
disheartenment noun

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 For its part, Ukraine is increasingly disheartened that American political paralysis has resulted in shortages of ammunition for troops on the front. Thomas Gibbons-Neff, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Nurses are disheartened to once again see the CDC weakening protections for public health, which will mean more transmission, illness, hospitalizations, and cases of long Covid. Judy Stone, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 But here’s the takeaway: As disheartening as a cheating past can be, your relationship isn’t necessarily doomed to repeat history—especially if your partner has shown they’re genuinely committed to doing better. Jenna Ryu, SELF, 23 Feb. 2024 Wednesday night featured a large contingent of Iowa fans who basked in the moment, but even those who were disheartened by a lopsided loss for the Gophers (15-13, 5-12) could appreciate being a witness to history. Dean Spiros, Twin Cities, 28 Feb. 2024 Camden MacLean, 19, went to a Trump rally and was disheartened to notice the former president was more focused on attacking his enemies than explaining his policies. John Bacon, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024 Discovering that the emotion most closely linked with wood is anger was disheartening, but Effaimoglou, a fellow wood leader, reassures me that the element's strength lies in transforming anger into drive, kindness, and generosity. Leila Milgrim, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Feb. 2024 Others were disheartened by transgender being separated out as a category from male, female and nonbinary in the gender question instead of including the options of transgender man and transgender woman. Mike Schneider, The Denver Post, 16 Feb. 2024 Feeling disheartened by their cancellations, Frank sets out on a cross-country road trip to see them all. EW.com, 7 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dishearten.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dishearten was in 1590

Dictionary Entries Near dishearten

Cite this Entry

“Dishearten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dishearten. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dishearten

verb
dis·​heart·​en (ˈ)dis-ˈhärt-ᵊn How to pronounce dishearten (audio)
: to deprive of courage and hope : discourage
disheartening
-ˈhärt-niŋ
-ᵊn-iŋ
adjective
dishearteningly adverb
disheartenment noun

More from Merriam-Webster on dishearten

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