dismay

1 of 2

verb

dis·​may dis-ˈmā 

diz-

dismayed; dismaying

transitive verb

1

: to cause to lose courage or resolution (as because of alarm or fear)

must not let ourselves be dismayed by the task before us

2

: upset, perturb

were dismayed by the condition of the building

dismay

2 of 2

noun

1

: sudden loss of courage or resolution from alarm or fear

watched with dismay as flames engulfed their home

2

a

: sudden disappointment

announced her retirement, much to the dismay of her fans

b

: perturbation sense 1

expressed dismay at his strange behavior

Synonyms of dismay

Verb

• discourage
• frustrate

Noun

• disappointment
• frustration
• dissatisfaction

Choose the Right Synonym for dismay

dismay, appall, horrify, daunt mean to unnerve or deter by arousing fear, apprehension, or aversion.

dismay implies that one is disconcerted and at a loss as to how to deal with something.

dismayed at the size of the job

appall implies that one is faced with that which perturbs, confounds, or shocks.

I am appalled by your behavior

horrify stresses a reaction of horror or revulsion.

was horrified by such wanton cruelty

daunt suggests a cowing, disheartening, or frightening in a venture requiring courage.

a cliff that would daunt the most intrepid climber

Examples of dismay in a Sentence

Verb

Her choice of career dismays her parents.

the imposing climb up the mountain dismayed us even before we got started

Noun

His comments were met with cries of dismay.

They watched in dismay as the house burned.

Much to the dismay of her fans, she announced her retirement immediately after the book's release.

To my dismay, I did not get chosen for the job.

We listened with dismay to the news of the accident.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Advertisement Safety researchers were dismayed, according to excerpts of an internal conversation quoted in the filing. —Charlotte Alter, Time, 22 Nov. 2025

Brown took notice and grew increasingly dismayed at who Red Scare invited on the podcast. —Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 17 Nov. 2025

Noun

When both Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and then Shinzo Abe himself visited the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, where war criminals are buried, Beijing expressed dismay and offense. —Kerry Brown, Time, 28 Nov. 2025

Michael and Jill White talk about their dismay at the possibility of the killer of their son, Magnus White, being transferred from state prison to community corrections just a few months into her sentence. —Alan Gionet, CBS News, 22 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French desmaier, from des- dis- + -maier, from Vulgar Latin *-magare, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German magan to be able — more at may entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for dismay

• airway
• allay
• archway
• array
• ashtray
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway
• beret

Kids Definition

dismay

1 of 2 verb

dis·​may dis-ˈmā 

diz-

1

: to cause to lose courage or to feel concern : daunt

dismayed by their opponent's size

2

: upset entry 1 sense 2a, perturb

dismayed by the poor turnout

dismayingly

-iŋ-lē 

adverb

dismay

2 of 2 noun

1

: loss of courage or determination from alarm or fear

2

: a feeling of alarm or disappointment