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

Relevance

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 Shares of Apple slid about 4% in premarket trading, underscoring investors' disappointment with the company's outlook and lagging sales across some product types. — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 3 Nov. 2026 But a combination of injuries and regression by the bullpen and several of the team’s top offensive stars led to a 2026 season filled with disappointment. — ABC News, 3 Nov. 2026 Now Isaac Herzog, with his rich political pedigree but record of personal disappointment, faces a delicate challenge. — Ilan Ben Zion, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Nov. 2026 Harbaugh’s team hasn’t scored an offensive touchdown in the last two games and is one of the huge disappointments of this season. — Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 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
  • But across this wolf may cry, her breathy delivery becomes so uniform that longing, frustration, and romantic desperation frequently sound indistinguishable.
    — Precious Fondren, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2026
  • And rather than allowing his defense to anchor him during challenging games, the wing often allows his frustration to seep into his defensive assignments.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of frustration
Noun
  • By failing to perform in a 3-1 letdown at BMO Stadium against a 13th-place Minnesota United FC team on the verge of elimination, LAFC split the difference and locked up the sixth seed.
    — Josh Gross, Daily News, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Final Thoughts Belkin SoundForm Play ANC The Belkin SoundForm Play ANC headphones are a letdown overall.
    — Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of letdown
Noun
  • His latest assignment is to cheer up young siblings Gabby (Xochitl Gomez, The Baby-Sitters Club) and Sebastian (Tiago Martinez), whose single mother (an underused America Ferrera) has just moved the family to a new town, much to their dismay.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Fans, including many who had traveled out of state for the event, took to the comments to share their dismay over the announcement.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of dismay
Noun
  • Memory and chip firms SanDisk, Western Digital, AMD, Seagate and Micron were the index’s biggest losers, all plunging around 10%.
    — Steve Kopack, NBC news, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Counting among the biggest losers on Election Day was Elon Musk, who is currently facing a lawsuit over allegations that the gas turbines at his Colossus data center in Memphis, Tennessee, are emitting pollution.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of loser
Noun
  • The electoral setback was stoked in part by voter dissatisfaction with the Iran war and elevated fuel prices, a byproduct of the regional conflict that’s affected nearly every sector of the global economy.
    — Aamer Madhani, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Exit polls showed nearly nine out of 10 voters considered the cost of living as a big factor in their vote, while the majority of voters expressed dissatisfaction with the direction of the country.
    — Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of dissatisfaction
Noun
  • Obstacles, wind, sensor errors, or other system failures can prevent it from completing the maneuver safely.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Coach Mikey Varas has spent the past week asking his players to confront their failure to reach the MLS Cup playoffs rather than simply count down the days until the offseason.
    — Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of failure
Noun
  • Through such simple but evocative images, Zhang creates a whole world of suspicion and sadness.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Throughout, there’s a lingering sadness, which is properly explored in a superb episode made up of a trifecta of flashbacks, and his dour constitution still pairs perfectly with Helen’s reassuring nature.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of sadness
Noun
  • But a dribble of the stuff on your favorite shirt (or pants or dress) leaves a dark brown stain that can be a major bummer.
    — Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The reliance on Touch ID instead of Face ID is still a bummer, though.
    — Antonio G. Di Benedetto, The Verge, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of bummer

Browse Nearby Words

disappointing
disappointment
disappointments
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Disappointment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disappointment. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of defer

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All