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 frustration that seethes through the show is often born of the disappointment that a form as quicksilver and astounding as songwriting can be yoked to small-minded and propagandistic ends. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026 Right tackle Jackson has been an immense disappointment through four games. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026 The stranger stared at him in mute disappointment, then turned and went out. — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026 On Sunday at Union Station, several riders expressed disappointment with the news; many did not know about the change. — Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 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 compounding frustrations of this situation, fueled by too much alcohol, finally expose Uta’s double life.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
  • My stepmother took out her anger and frustration with her husband on me.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of frustration
Noun
  • But this is still a team quarterbacked by Kirk Cousins and due for a letdown, especially in an early-afternoon game multiple time zones over.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • For those inexplicably hoping for ParaBros, Skydance seems a bit of a letdown, especially considering all the trouble Ellison went to.
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of letdown
Noun
  • And to my family’s dismay, more good books are being published every week.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Just like that, months of dismay — and his 0-for-3 start to the afternoon — were forgotten.
    — Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of dismay
Noun
  • In many of life’s winner-loser outcomes, the fate of the losers is all but inevitable, granted the values, resources and determination of the winners.
    — James Coffin, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Gaskell noted that a relatively small number of active losers account for a substantial amount of sportsbooks’ revenue.
    — ProPublica, ProPublica, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of loser
Noun
  • The financial squeeze has collided with an increasingly fragmented political system, creating opportunities for parties at both ends of the political spectrum to capitalize on public dissatisfaction.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Gen Z is already acting on dissatisfaction, which means the window to build defensible AI practices is closing while adoption curves are still climbing.
    — Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of dissatisfaction
Noun
  • The installation at the military’s oldest active test base would help shield critical defense operations from wider grid failures.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
  • After he was released from the hospital, 22-year-old Nicholas James Stedeford-Aaron was arrested and charged with driving while impaired, reckless driving to endanger and failure to move over for emergency vehicles with injury.
    — Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of failure
Noun
  • And that is what produces, for me, the anger and the rage and the sadness.
    — Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Fortuna noted rapid surveys also found that children with at least one immigrant parent are more likely to experience nightmares and higher levels of sadness.
    — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 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
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Cite this Entry

“Disappointment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disappointment. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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