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
Tessa Cooper, Southern Living, 1 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
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
The truth is too disheartening.
—Elaine Blair, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
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
Still, hearing that it was recommended was disheartening for Laird.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 14 Mar. 2026
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
Assistance from other churches The fire in their beloved church has been disheartening, Afanasyev said.
—Talia McWright, Twin Cities, 24 Dec. 2025
That’s also why there’s something especially disheartening about mediocrity on a grand scale, as with the glut of overproduced, overblown franchise films, which lack both personalized imagination and the more modest virtue of clear observation.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2025
Kelce went deeper on what has been disheartening this season.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 19 Nov. 2025
Adjective
Transplant Shock is Avoidable Inviting the opportunity for transplant shock has got to be one of the most disheartening gardening mistakes out there.
—Tessa Cooper, Southern Living, 1 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
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
The truth is too disheartening.
—Elaine Blair, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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
Still, hearing that it was recommended was disheartening for Laird.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 14 Mar. 2026
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
Assistance from other churches The fire in their beloved church has been disheartening, Afanasyev said.
—Talia McWright, Twin Cities, 24 Dec. 2025
That’s also why there’s something especially disheartening about mediocrity on a grand scale, as with the glut of overproduced, overblown franchise films, which lack both personalized imagination and the more modest virtue of clear observation.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2025
Kelce went deeper on what has been disheartening this season.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 19 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disheartening
Adjective
-
But the growth was slightly slower than economists expected, and a measure of prices accelerated at its fastest pace since 2022 in a potentially discouraging signal for inflation.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Both hosts often wept as Guthrie described her emotional journey through the increasingly discouraging investigation into her mother’s whereabouts.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
There are plenty of inconveniences frequent air travelers have become accustomed to, from long security lines to shrinking overhead storage bins, but few are as disconcerting as heavy turbulence in flight.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Apr. 2026
-
About 20 miles southwest of Indianapolis, Mooresville residents report finding dirty water filters turning a disconcerting brown.—
Karl Schneider,
IndyStar,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The keenness of my letdown was dismaying.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
-
But there’s another side to this story, equally dismaying, which is the abandonment of dissidents as a public cause in the West.—
Bret Stephens,
Mercury News,
12 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
By the time Ambassador Martin authorized an evacuation, the only way out—since Martin had vetoed a proposal to put refugees on freighters and take them down the Saigon River to the coast (too demoralizing a spectacle)—was by helicopter.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
After the traditionally incredibly dominant US basketball team finished third at the 2004 Athens Olympics, the demoralizing loss forced the best ballers in the country to get serious and learn to work together.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
10 Apr. 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
-
That shift, the director explained, has been both encouraging and creatively daunting.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The procedure may be more sustainable and less daunting.—
Gretchen Wittenmyer-Stone,
Kansas City Star,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Other recent polls of Latino voters show similar troubling signs for Republicans as the November mid-term elections approach.—
Andres Oppenheimer,
Miami Herald,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Dionne Koller, professor of law at the University of Baltimore and director of the Center for Sport and the Law, said the frequency of incidents is troubling.—
Edward Lee,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disheartening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disheartening. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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