as in to discourage
to lessen the courage or confidence of
we were disheartened by the news that our grandmother was seriously ill
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Recent Examples of dishearten
Street concerts and underground gatherings offer a rare hint of hope for the many young Russians who have grown disheartened by Moscow’s prolonged war and deepening repression.
—
Anna Nemtsova, The Atlantic, 30 Sep. 2025
Though disheartening, its abrupt cancellation wasn’t uncommon, especially for television shows that featured Black talent.
—Essence, 18 Sep. 2025
Fear of failure Failure can be disheartening, embarrassing and often downright devastating — especially in entrepreneurship, when your reputation and finances could be on the line.
—Ashton Jackson, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025
Everyone is responsible for this disappointing, disheartening 0-2 start the Dolphins are on, and that includes the media that’s covering the team.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dishearten
Anna Nemtsova, The Atlantic, 30 Sep. 2025
Though disheartening, its abrupt cancellation wasn’t uncommon, especially for television shows that featured Black talent.
—Essence, 18 Sep. 2025
Fear of failure Failure can be disheartening, embarrassing and often downright devastating — especially in entrepreneurship, when your reputation and finances could be on the line.
—Ashton Jackson, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025
Everyone is responsible for this disappointing, disheartening 0-2 start the Dolphins are on, and that includes the media that’s covering the team.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dishearten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dishearten
Verb
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If what once felt easy starts to get complicated, don’t be discouraged.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
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Officials say these measures are aimed at discouraging irregular migration and securing the border, contributing to a notable decline in Border Patrol apprehensions compared with previous years.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Faye is both highly supportive yet frustrated by the distant Springsteen, who showers her with love before disappearing into his music.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
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So when Luise was frustrated by her experiments with canvas one afternoon at MacDowell and threw her scraps into her studio’s fireplace, Morton was there to witness the epiphany that followed.—
Grace Edquist,
Vogue,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dishearten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dishearten. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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