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disappointment

noun

ˌdis-ə-ˈpȯint-mənt How to pronounce disappointment (audio)
Definition of disappointmentnext
1
as in frustration
the emotion felt when one's expectations are not met we felt keen disappointment when our offer on the house was rejected

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in letdown
something that disappoints after all the publicity and high expectations, the sequel to the movie blockbuster was a huge disappointment

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disappointment So far, McDaniel’s brief Chargers’ tenure hasn’t just been a disappointment. — Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026 Oakley and Reid lean so heavily into Elinor and Marianne’s crushing disappointments and the forces holding them back in a period of vast gender inequity, that their sorrows shove the characters’ more captivating qualities to the side. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026 The 15-10 loss to North Carolina in the opener in Dublin, Ireland, was a disappointment. — ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026 Jentleson spends only one page on this obvious disappointment, faulting Fetterman for taking too much delight in conflict with the left and for becoming too credulous toward AIPAC. — Isaac Arnsdorf, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disappointment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disappointment
  1. frustration
  2. letdown
  3. dismay
  4. loser
  5. dissatisfaction
  6. failure
  7. sadness
  8. bummer
Noun
  • Officials familiar with the higher casualty number expressed frustration that the additional loss of life is not reflected in the Pentagon's public casualty portal.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Because the therapy is off-label, insurance routinely denies coverage, forcing clinicians and patients to improvise — a frustration that Dombo experienced firsthand.
    — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of frustration
Noun
  • Not after the constant letdowns during both of their tenures.
    — James Boyd, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Simply put, the Dallas Cowboys suffered a massive letdown on Sunday night.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of letdown
Noun
  • At the same time, Gen Z is drinking less alcohol at bars and clubs, to the dismay of the night life industry.
    — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The cursed island town in Widow’s Bay has summoned all kinds of supernatural entities, much to the dismay of its residents.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of dismay
Noun
  • The winner will emerge feeling optimistic about its chances of making a run in the Big 12, while the loser may need to recalibrate expectations for the rest of the season.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Olivia Miles scored 20 points to lead Minnesota, losers of three straight.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of loser
Noun
  • There is already a feeling among many supporters that the time spent poring over marginal decisions — all those interminable stoppages for calls that are going to cause dissatisfaction, whatever the outcome — is far too much.
    — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • At the same time, dissatisfaction has increased to a high of 67%.
    — Jocelyn Gecker, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of dissatisfaction
Noun
  • It is built the same way that the figure skater builds a routine or the running back learns to explode through a crack in the line—repetition after repetition, failure after failure, with no shortcut available and no machine that can stand in.
    — Dan Rockmore, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026
  • That makes preventing deployment and routing failures especially important as these fleets expand.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of failure
Noun
  • Postpartum depression can be anxiousness or sadness, tearfulness, difficulty sleeping.
    — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The sadness comes from reflecting on how those founders used their newly independent government and military might against Indigenous people.
    — Scott Baldauf, Christian Science Monitor, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of sadness
Noun
  • The early start to this NFL season yielded the earliest bummer.
    — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • That was one of my biggest takeaways — and bummers — from my conversation with Chris Barker, an epidemiology professor at UC Davis who has studied mosquitoes for almost 30 years, including at his lab.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of bummer

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disappointing
disappointment
disappointments
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Cite this Entry

“Disappointment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disappointment. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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