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 movie tries to remedy that disappointment with some razzmatazz about the power of friendship and a handful of enjoyable flourishes. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 July 2026 Mercury retrograde The Phoenix Mercury are one of the biggest disappointments of the season. — Annie Costabile, New York Times, 28 July 2026 Apple has also had commercial disappointments, like the Vision Pro headset, and floundered on its Siri assistant. — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 25 July 2026 Jackson acknowledged the disappointment of Platner’s supporters and the need to win them over for the general election. — Patrick Whittle, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 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
  • Big brands, which are highly sensitive to public pressure, have become an easy target for frustration.
    — Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Early today, the Pisces Moon may stir private doubts or behind-the-scenes frustration as Venus highlights work and wellness .
    — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of frustration
Noun
  • This iconic juice has a huge pineapple aroma and flavor, but the container is a serious letdown.
    — Jolene Thym, Mercury News, 20 July 2026
  • So why did both earlier this week seem – well, not a letdown, but not what we’re used to?
    — Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 17 July 2026
Definition of letdown
Noun
  • Lionfish supplanted indigenous stocks like the red mullet to the dismay of fishers, who have seen local varieties popular with customers greatly diminish.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026
  • Later, their tentative friendship turns into something more passionate — to the dismay of eavesdropping Asla, who realizes she is not the party Helge’s charm was aimed at.
    — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 26 July 2026
Definition of dismay
Noun
  • No longer football’s famous losers, Newcastle’s identity was now blurred.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 30 July 2026
  • Winners and losers in the shifting tax landscape Critics say the trend toward lower income taxes favors wealthy individuals and corporations and imperils public investments in infrastructure, housing, education and childcare.
    — Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 30 July 2026
Definition of loser
Noun
  • Studying clips of his first season as a BBC pundit, Wayne Rooney could not shake a feeling of dissatisfaction.
    — Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
  • In one study of nurses at hospitals across Queensland, Australia, those who worked at hospitals that followed a minimum nurse staffing policy had 24% lower odds of high burnout and 27% lower odds of job dissatisfaction.
    — Alana Semuels, Time, 30 July 2026
Definition of dissatisfaction
Noun
  • The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that there would be an emergency road closure at the inbound Lawrence Avenue exit on the Kennedy (Interstate 90), citing the early morning concrete retention wall failure as the reason.
    — Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 2 Aug. 2026
  • These failures stemmed not from new vulnerabilities, but from basic security flaws like weak passwords and unauthenticated endpoints, and reliance on assumptions over robust controls.
    — Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of failure
Noun
  • Out of sadness, but also out of hope and beauty and the belief that what was missing might eventually be found.
    — Thao Thai, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026
  • Corey Ruiz's mother, daughter, partner and siblings joined attorney Ben Crump, expressing their sadness and frustration about his death.
    — Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 24 July 2026
Definition of sadness
Noun
  • If a team wins, their GM must be smarter than everyone else because the idea that everyone is basically rolling the same dice and flipping the same coins and some guys are just getting luckier on the results is kind of a bummer.
    — Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 24 July 2026
  • Back-to-school shopping season is already here, and with the bummer of summer slipping away, the bright side is that there are plenty of sales and savings to be had out there.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 22 July 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 4 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on disappointment

Nglish: Translation of disappointment for Spanish Speakers

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