as in discouraging
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as in frustrating
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 disheartening
Tom Layberger, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Drying Your Nails At Home There is nothing more disheartening than taking time to paint your nails at home only to smudge them minutes later.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 27 May 2026
And now this disheartening accounting error.
—Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 25 Apr. 2026
Sure, the Longhorns (21-15, 9-9) endured an up-and-down regular season and suffered a disheartening loss to Ole Miss in the first round of the SEC Tournament.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 31 Mar. 2026
The crocodile’s rare appearance represented a disheartening degradation but a hopeful sign of what the Niger Delta, if salvaged, can still become — an eco-diverse paradise akin to the Amazon or Costa Rica, that feeds its populace and attracts foreign visitors wanting to witness nature’s glory.
—Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
With the next five against the Lakers, Rockets, Spurs, Cavaliers and Cavaliers, there will be the opportunity for statement wins to follow, after the disheartening losses to the Magic and Hornets.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2026
The disheartening shift has continued since Katherine, whose name CNN agreed to change to protect her privacy, gave birth to her daughter.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 9 Mar. 2026
Troy Rice, like most golfers, says few things are more disheartening than slicing the ball on a swing that feels good.
—Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 2 Mar. 2026
Anna Ortiz, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2026
The trio also acknowledged how demoralizing and disheartening the recent spate of firings, and the lack of explanation for them, has been.
—Marlow Stern, Variety, 11 June 2026
The experience was disheartening.
—Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 2 June 2026
And Saturday’s walkoff loss to the Rangers was especially disheartening.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 31 May 2026
Kantor said the data is disheartening.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 2026
While the unknown status is disheartening, Nepola recalls how the series, first brought to the air in 2011, was once thought to be gone for good only to be resurrected by Peacock in 2021.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
If that is what our cops are hearing and no one steps up to say otherwise, that can be disheartening.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Prior to Tuesday night’s disheartening 136-106 road loss to the Charlotte Hornets, Spoelstra was asked about his team’s unique reliance on zone defense.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Though 2025 was a disappointing five-loss campaign that opened with a disheartening 34-7 defeat at USF and ended in similar fashion (38-10) against Washington in the LA Bowl, Spencer Danielson’s Broncos nonetheless won another Mountain West title.
—Tom Layberger, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Drying Your Nails At Home There is nothing more disheartening than taking time to paint your nails at home only to smudge them minutes later.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 27 May 2026
And now this disheartening accounting error.
—Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 25 Apr. 2026
Sure, the Longhorns (21-15, 9-9) endured an up-and-down regular season and suffered a disheartening loss to Ole Miss in the first round of the SEC Tournament.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 31 Mar. 2026
The crocodile’s rare appearance represented a disheartening degradation but a hopeful sign of what the Niger Delta, if salvaged, can still become — an eco-diverse paradise akin to the Amazon or Costa Rica, that feeds its populace and attracts foreign visitors wanting to witness nature’s glory.
—Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
With the next five against the Lakers, Rockets, Spurs, Cavaliers and Cavaliers, there will be the opportunity for statement wins to follow, after the disheartening losses to the Magic and Hornets.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2026
The disheartening shift has continued since Katherine, whose name CNN agreed to change to protect her privacy, gave birth to her daughter.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 9 Mar. 2026
Troy Rice, like most golfers, says few things are more disheartening than slicing the ball on a swing that feels good.
—Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 2 Mar. 2026
Verb
Gomez said the search has been disheartening, with their hopes of staying in the city of Hammond beginning to wane.
—Anna Ortiz, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2026
The trio also acknowledged how demoralizing and disheartening the recent spate of firings, and the lack of explanation for them, has been.
—Marlow Stern, Variety, 11 June 2026
The experience was disheartening.
—Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 2 June 2026
And Saturday’s walkoff loss to the Rangers was especially disheartening.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 31 May 2026
Kantor said the data is disheartening.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 2026
While the unknown status is disheartening, Nepola recalls how the series, first brought to the air in 2011, was once thought to be gone for good only to be resurrected by Peacock in 2021.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
If that is what our cops are hearing and no one steps up to say otherwise, that can be disheartening.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Prior to Tuesday night’s disheartening 136-106 road loss to the Charlotte Hornets, Spoelstra was asked about his team’s unique reliance on zone defense.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disheartening
Adjective
-
Still, this was a discouraging result for anyone wearing yellow in Kansas City.—
Kellis Robinett,
Kansas City Star,
21 June 2026
-
The Chicago Blackhawks needed plenty after a discouraging 2024-25 season.—
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
The documentary’s contradiction is right there, enthralling us with the wild achievements Potter pulled off and frustrating us with his bombast, leading us to ponder whether, as The Dark Wizard suggests, either could exist without the other.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
7 May 2026
-
Mack and the Chargers’ defense pressured quarterbacks Jalen Hurts of the Eagles and Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs, frustrating them and keeping them out of their comfort zones.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
20 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Bari Weiss directed the housecleaning at the newsmagazine last week, and Nick Bilton signed the letter telling Scott Pelley he was fired on Tuesday night, but the Paramount CEO owns the decisions and the disconcerting fallout.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
-
The abruptness is disconcerting but can be overcome by learning the pedal’s nuances.—
James Raia,
Mercury News,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
Some recent comments from longtime Voicers have been especially dismaying.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
4 June 2026
-
And in the worst cases — a scenario that plays out with dismaying regularity — the executive who championed the project has moved on to another job entirely.—
George Heller,
HollywoodReporter,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
The trio also acknowledged how demoralizing and disheartening the recent spate of firings, and the lack of explanation for them, has been.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
11 June 2026
-
No question, the end of the season was deflating and demoralizing.—
Aaron Portzline,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
Adjective
-
And so that’s the dispiriting, disquieting aspect of the story.—
Erik Pedersen,
Oc Register,
9 Apr. 2026
-
That opened the door for Ramon Laureano to deliver the knockout blow in the form of an RBI single to left, ultimately handing the Red Sox a dispiriting 3-2 loss.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Both of these novels center on a single character who is faced with the daunting task of survival, but the stakes are even higher in Project Hail Mary.—
Esther K. Choy,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
-
And now, there are fresh headwinds that make the math even more daunting.—
John W. Diamond,
Fortune,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
Questions of value are difficult to answer with the VLE for a few reasons, the most troubling being that Mercedes-Benz hasn’t committed to a price for the thing yet.—
Tim Stevens,
Robb Report,
19 June 2026
-
Other Republicans are more skeptical, a troubling sign for a president who prides himself on his business acumen.—
Linley Sanders,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disheartening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disheartening. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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