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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of disheartening
Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 7 Jan. 2026
And if that weren’t bad enough, Kansas City got some disheartening injury news after the game that will make quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ life even more difficult.
—Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025
For those dealing with the disheartening struggles of infertility, this is good news.
—Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 29 Oct. 2025
Perhaps the only bright spot in a disheartening loss, this unit got plays from every rotation player.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 5 Oct. 2025
At the end of the day, the result was a bit disheartening.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2025
Seeing that textbook go to waste felt very disheartening.
—Sami Khan, Mercury News, 9 Sep. 2025
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
As for the media coverage surrounding his death, the false narratives are disheartening and disrespectful to the legacy of a wonderful man.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
Add a breast cancer diagnosis—with its potential surgeries, scars and treatment side effects—and the pressure to conform to outdated beauty standards can feel disheartening.
—Tabitha Britt, Flow Space, 30 Oct. 2025
To see a government shut down on the heels of that progress is disheartening, Explore Asheville CEO Vic Isley said.
—Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 3 Oct. 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
Adjective
To vocalize the belief that the lawsuit was partisan politics instead of concerned citizens speaking up, is very disheartening.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 7 Jan. 2026
And if that weren’t bad enough, Kansas City got some disheartening injury news after the game that will make quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ life even more difficult.
—Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025
For those dealing with the disheartening struggles of infertility, this is good news.
—Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 29 Oct. 2025
Perhaps the only bright spot in a disheartening loss, this unit got plays from every rotation player.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 5 Oct. 2025
At the end of the day, the result was a bit disheartening.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2025
Seeing that textbook go to waste felt very disheartening.
—Sami Khan, Mercury News, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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
As for the media coverage surrounding his death, the false narratives are disheartening and disrespectful to the legacy of a wonderful man.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
Add a breast cancer diagnosis—with its potential surgeries, scars and treatment side effects—and the pressure to conform to outdated beauty standards can feel disheartening.
—Tabitha Britt, Flow Space, 30 Oct. 2025
To see a government shut down on the heels of that progress is disheartening, Explore Asheville CEO Vic Isley said.
—Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 3 Oct. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disheartening
Adjective
-
Their status has been diminished by what has — charitably — been a really discouraging decade, featuring two separate relegations.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
-
High taxes squeeze margins and send a discouraging signal to firms.—
Andrew Rein,
New York Daily News,
6 Jan. 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
-
Cellos and basses may be rumbling along on a frighteningly low melody, as the woodwinds are pecking like a riot in a chicken coop, while the high strings are sustaining a cluster of odd, disconcerting notes.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
29 Dec. 2025
-
The macro view is more disconcerting.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Democratic leaders actually were troubled by Mamdani’s rise (although their preference for a disgraced former governor was equally dismaying), but Democratic voters handed Mamdani a solid victory despite his radical positions.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
28 Nov. 2025
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On top of this dismaying thought comes the realization that the AI is available 24x7 and at a low cost or perhaps even free.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
So, very demoralizing, devastating to lose anyone’s life, especially in that manner.—
Nick Friedell,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Winfrey shared the demoralizing experience in her 2017 cookbook, Food, Health, and Happiness.—
Avalon Hester,
PEOPLE,
31 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Some might take issue that actual recordings get used, but given the message this expertly made film so emphatically presents, that haunting voice makes the film all that more powerful, meaningful and dispiriting.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
In Week 16, Detroit had a first and goal from the 1-yard line in the final seconds against the Pittsburgh Steelers but failed to score the go-ahead touchdown in a dispiriting loss.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
26 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Right now, Celebrini’s more focused on what’s directly ahead of him and the Sharks, and that’s a daunting three-week stretch with nine of their next 10 games away from home.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
13 Jan. 2026
-
The legal and financial aspects are often expensive and daunting.—
Oona Metz,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
But advocates argued that merely checking a box to satisfy an audit does not necessarily mean improvements in animal welfare, as evidenced by several troubling incidents that occurred last year, which is why advocates want greater transparency into how the city is fulfilling its obligations.—
Devan Patel,
Mercury News,
14 Jan. 2026
-
That same enforcement vacuum enabled an even more troubling revelation weeks later.—
Bobby Block,
Sun Sentinel,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disheartening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disheartening. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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