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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 The Broncos bounced back from that disappointment with a 49-14 win over Monmouth this past weekend. — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 14 Sep. 2026 And just like in the original movie, there was disappointment along with elation. — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Sep. 2026 They were already gone, having evacuated the site of collective disappointment faster than seemed possible for a crowd of such size. — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026 Speakers during public comment at the town hall accused the board of mishandling the hiring process and expressed disappointment that another popular candidate, Guion Creek Middle School athletic director John Dawkins, was rejected. — Aubrey Wright, IndyStar, 11 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
  • The frustration within the Democratic caucus immediately prompted some calls for harsh consequences.
    — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The AfD was created in 2013 as a small anti-euro party before morphing into an anti-migrant force that tapped into voter frustration over immigration and the strains many Germans perceive on housing, jobs and public services.
    — Erik Kirschbaum, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of frustration
Noun
  • Sure, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was a letdown, but the full truth is more complicated.
    — Frank DeRuggiero, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Our review highlighted its everyday usability, lightweight design, and overall good value, though this configuration’s measly 128GB of storage is a bit of a letdown.
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of letdown
Noun
  • 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
  • People in New York City looked up in shock and dismay; people everywhere else watched their favorite anchors on old-fashioned television sets and looked for updates on very rudimentary versions of news websites.
    — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of dismay
Noun
  • The biggest losers right now are truckload carriers, especially small firms or owner-operators.
    — Kevin Williams, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The losers would include the families of passengers who were uninsured, those of trespassers who were careless (or suicidal), and, equally tragically, those of unfortunate railway employees killed in the course of their employment.
    — Amelia Soth, JSTOR Daily, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of loser
Noun
  • But any new owner was likely to be championed, so great was the dissatisfaction.
    — Andy McCullough, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • But for Amal, a new way of thinking about her future is dawning, and with it, potential dissatisfaction with what previously had been her set role in life.
    — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of dissatisfaction
Noun
  • Their failure to receive one may be attributed to their having vague symptoms, such as a general feeling of malaise, weakness, or fluctuating muscle pain.
    — Jerome Groopman, The New York Review of Books, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Compounding the issue was UM’s failure to get to the quarterback.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of failure
Noun
  • Despite being steeped in the sadness and frustration of the working class, Lee’s drama uses its film-within-a-film construct to refract the moral valences of labor through the prism of what people actually earn through their work.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2026
  • This one, however, finds the director in a mood to confront the inevitable changes and march of time, its joys and sadness in the lives of ordinary people going about living it.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 4 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

Browse Nearby Words

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 19 Sep. 2026.

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