disillusioned

adjective

dis·​il·​lu·​sion·​ed ˌdis-ə-ˈlü-zhənd 

: having lost faith or trust in something formerly regarded as good or valuable

becoming more and more disillusioned with politics

Overworked, tired, disillusioned, with a shaky marriage, the district attorney finally gets a case that he really wants to prosecute.

—The New York Times Book Review

The camps grew restive and disillusioned, but refused to give up.

—Nora Levin

The disillusioned children of troubled marriages suffer from their parents' transgressions long into adulthood.

—Marianne Gingher

Examples of disillusioned in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For the moderator — who has become a bit disillusioned by the transformation of the subreddit — posts like Haapala’s, celebrating their job offer on the subreddit, are a beacon of light. — William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 21 July 2026

Like many others, Naipaul offered a disillusioned view of the era; he was given to fatalism about utopian hope. — Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 14 July 2026

Potential contenders including former health chief Nirav Shah and ex-Senate president Troy Jackson are circling, while disillusioned voters liken Platner’s exit to Democrats’ last-minute scramble to replace Joe Biden. — Kimberlee Kruesi, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026

Owning a home has long been considered part of financial freedom and the larger American Dream, but that concept itself has lost its sheen as a rising share of young Americans grow disillusioned with it. — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 30 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined above