dismayed

adjective

dis·​mayed dis-ˈmād 

diz-

: experiencing or showing feelings of alarmed concern or dismay : upset, worried, or agitated because of some unwelcome situation or occurrence

the dismayed look on her face

After Galileo's much-delayed launch, dismayed ground controllers discovered that its main antenna had become stuck during the craft's long stay in storage.

—Bob Berman

So I was surprised, even dismayed, to receive a few e-mail messages … that accused us of relegating our Web site to a cheap marketing tool for the print magazine …

—Brian L. Steffens

"… we are deeply dismayed that more care was not taken to inform consumers about threats to their personal information. … "

—Catherine Cortez Masto and Amy Klobuchar

Many people affected by the closure announcement … were shocked and dismayed that they had no warning of the changes.

—CBC (Toronto) (online)

Examples of dismayed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

My youngest son is the most dismayed so far at Sam having to leave his faithful pony companion, Bill, behind at the gates of Moria. —Adam Verner september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025

After posting their statement, the estate shared a handful of follow-ups in the comments, where many Prince fans appeared dismayed over their actions. —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 22 Aug. 2025

The program began with a flourish in 2017 when former Mayor Tom Barrett became dismayed at the number of employers that wouldn't give jobs to teens, leaving them with little to keep themselves productive over the summer. —Maya Bell, jsonline.com, 15 Aug. 2025

This deeply dismayed not just his progressive supporters, but his Black backers. —Jerel Ezell, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1535, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for dismayed

• accolade
• ambuscade
• antegrade
• balustrade
• barricade
• cannonade
• cavalcade
• centigrade
• chambermaid
• colonnade
• countertrade
• disobeyed