disillusion

1 of 2

noun

dis·il·lu·sion ˌdis-ə-ˈlü-zhən

Synonyms of disillusion next

: the condition of being disenchanted : the condition of being dissatisfied or defeated in expectation or hope

suffered romantic disillusions

disillusion

2 of 2

verb

disillusioned; disillusioning ˌdis-ə-ˈlü-zhə-niŋ

transitive verb

: to free from illusion

also : to cause to lose naive faith and trust

The job disillusioned her about working in retail.

disillusionment

ˌdis-ə-ˈlü-zhən-mənt

noun

Example Sentences

Verb Working at that store for six months was enough to disillusion me about retail work. we were disillusioned when we saw how the movie star acted in real life

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Yes, Del Rey sings beautifully and will rightfully be recognized as a veritable voice of her generation — both in technique and disillusion — but here the cool distance she’s maintained between herself and listeners feels more expansive than ever. —

Bobby Olivier, SPIN, 24 Mar. 2023 That includes, under the direction of Lear deBessonet, plenty of humor to go along with the inevitable heartache and disillusion. —

Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Mar. 2023 Too many miles too soon, injuries, disillusion. —

Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 June 2022 Her disillusion deepened when crypto couldn’t help her family in Tigray during the conflict there from 2020 to 2022 because the lack of infrastructure and access to electricity made transfers impossible. —

Cora Lewis, Fortune, 27 Mar. 2023 And the sense of disillusion is nationwide. —

Mark Landler, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2023 With authentic clips from old audition tapes and a slow-burn plot that escalates as the past unfurls, audiences can expect themes of competition, regret, longing and disillusion to emerge through each of the show’s six episodes. —

Holly Jones, Variety, 22 Mar. 2023 Anxiety regarding climate change further causes feelings of disillusion with work for a generation already struggling to pay the bills. —

Chloe Berger, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2023 She’s had problems with the church for a while, but events that happened in the past year magnified her disillusion. —

The Salt Lake Tribune, 2 May 2021

Verb

The Information - Gen Z, disillusioned with a regular nine-to-five, has become the side hustle generation. —

Amber Burton, Fortune, 10 May 2023 Although disillusioned with guerilla warfare, McIntyre did not join the estimated 93% of Catholics who voted for the peace accord. —

Caolán Magee, CNN, 6 Apr. 2023 Kanye West didn’t sound this disillusioned with rap stardom until at least his fifth album. —

Al Shipley, SPIN, 16 Feb. 2023 The author grew disillusioned by the process and was uninterested in pursuing other Hollywood adaptations. —

Michelle Mehrtens, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Apr. 2023 Centuries after falling under the dark lord's influence (a flashback shot to closely resemble the imagery of Tod Browning's 1931 Dracula offers a fleeting, misleading hint of visual wit), Renfield is disillusioned with his unholy duties, which include rounding up victims. —

A.a. Dowd, Chron, 12 Apr. 2023 Phillips, the Syracuse assistant professor, said the goal of the rumors isn't necessarily to make people believe the claims, but to confuse and disillusion voters into distrusting any piece of information and, in turn, keep them from wanting to vote at all. —

NBC News, 22 Oct. 2020 Briggs said the court process surrounding the encounter left him feeling overwhelmed, powerless and disillusioned with the justice system. —

Tess Williams, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Apr. 2023 Their father, Ryan Busse, is a former firearms executive who grew disillusioned with the industry and challenged the National Rifle Association. —

David Gelles, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2023 See More

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