as in discouraging
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in frustrating
to lessen the courage or confidence of
we were disheartened by the news that our grandmother was seriously ill
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 disheartening
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 11 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
Even Vancouver’s younger developmental players appear to be stagnating, a disheartening undercurrent to these early days in Vancouver’s latest unintentional rebuilding effort.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
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
After being there for over 30 years, to see the hospital shut down was disheartening for Baker.
—Cam'ron Hardy, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 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
In this disheartening scenario, the contention is that human knowledge at the edges will be dampened, buried, or rarely presented.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 11 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
Even Vancouver’s younger developmental players appear to be stagnating, a disheartening undercurrent to these early days in Vancouver’s latest unintentional rebuilding effort.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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
After being there for over 30 years, to see the hospital shut down was disheartening for Baker.
—Cam'ron Hardy, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 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
-
However, increasing numbers of complaints paint a discouraging picture, especially given the cost of Traeger grills.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
-
Siri’s walk-off single in the 10th gave the Angels a 3-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Wednesday night, saving the Angels from what would have been a discouraging loss on a night when Detmers dominated.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
11 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
-
The federal cuts make preparing for the World Cup a daunting task for federal, state and local public health agencies, said Jennifer Nuzzo, a professor of epidemiology and director of the pandemic center at Brown University School of Public Health.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
-
Even returning to the quarterfinals in 2026 will be a daunting challenge.—
Andy Yamashita,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 June 2026
Adjective
-
In one particularly troubling case, Chicago-area Endeavor Health continued to allow obstetrician and gynecologist Fabio Ortega access to patients despite receiving complaints.—
Emily Hoerner,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
-
The game got off to a troubling start for Boise, which lost midfielder Charlie Adams to a calf injury in the 7th minute.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disheartening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disheartening. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
