as in to discourage
to lessen the courage or confidence of
we were disheartened by the news that our grandmother was seriously ill
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 dishearten
Gunter said she felt particularly disheartened after meeting with the chancellor in the spring, pleading with him to provide more support to students of color on campus.
—
Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2025
To put it mildly, Longo is disheartened by the political climate, by the bullying and attacks on democracy, by war, by the language that renders America as a sports team.
—Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 6 Sep. 2025
Headwinds can be disheartening, but lawmakers don’t easily give up.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 4 Sep. 2025
But for a teenager itching to see more of Britain—and eventually the world—that lack of curiosity was disheartening.
—Rohan Banerjee, Time, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dishearten
Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2025
To put it mildly, Longo is disheartened by the political climate, by the bullying and attacks on democracy, by war, by the language that renders America as a sports team.
—Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 6 Sep. 2025
Headwinds can be disheartening, but lawmakers don’t easily give up.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 4 Sep. 2025
But for a teenager itching to see more of Britain—and eventually the world—that lack of curiosity was disheartening.
—Rohan Banerjee, Time, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dishearten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dishearten
Verb
-
At first, the results were discouraging.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Sep. 2025
-
If the task is itself a learning activity that develops skills or forces cognitive engagement, discourage AI use.—
Dave Tucker,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Ciccone was frustrated to find research was largely focused on boys.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
-
It’s left supporters on Capitol Hill delighted, frustrated, or wondering what’s next.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dishearten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dishearten. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share