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
Listening to naysayers in Congress twist themselves into pretzels condemning the ayatollah and his brutal repressive regime, but offering no solutions whatsoever, has been disheartening.
—
Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 8 Mar. 2026
An odd and disheartening weekend for independent film is now in the rear view.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Feb. 2026
The program’s recent struggles disheartened him.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2026
After a lot of research, a little disheartened.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dishearten
Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 8 Mar. 2026
An odd and disheartening weekend for independent film is now in the rear view.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Feb. 2026
The program’s recent struggles disheartened him.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2026
After a lot of research, a little disheartened.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dishearten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dishearten
Verb
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The income that a proficiency with needle and thread commands relative to the skills needed and the physical toll of bending over detailed work for hours likely discourages teenagers and young adults from heeding Bae’s advice, fashion industry experts said.—
Anne D’Innocenzio,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
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In 2019, the odds for the three worst teams were flattened, as a way to discourage teams from racing to the bottom.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Despite that, Bunnell and his neighbor, Tom Williams, who received the same notice, are frustrated by the inconvenience.—
Luzdelia Caballero,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
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Homeowners across Central Florida have been frustrated to find their piles of dead leaves, branches and plants — victims of February’s hard freeze — still sitting on their curbs because waste haulers haven’t picked it up on time.—
Ryan Gillespie,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dishearten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dishearten. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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