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
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2026
The truth is too disheartening.
—Elaine Blair, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
The bump was later ruled a penalty, but the disheartening finish had Santos-Griswold considering retirement.
—Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026
If right, their conclusion implies a disheartening lesson amid the otherwise-welcome news.
—Charles Fain Lehman, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
Dallas is coming off a disheartening loss on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Lightning and has lost 10 of its last 12 games.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 19 Jan. 2026
The disheartening sight of Kittle getting carted off was followed by a 45-yard reception from Jauan Jennings, then three Christian McCaffrey runs that gained just nine yards.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 11 Jan. 2026
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
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 26 Feb. 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
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a breast cancer diagnosis—with its potential surgeries, scars and treatment side effects—and the pressure to conform to outdated beauty standards can feel disheartening.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
Adjective
Looking at the year ahead, the picture doesn’t look too pretty—and looking back, there’s some disheartening déjà vu.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2026
The truth is too disheartening.
—Elaine Blair, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
The bump was later ruled a penalty, but the disheartening finish had Santos-Griswold considering retirement.
—Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026
If right, their conclusion implies a disheartening lesson amid the otherwise-welcome news.
—Charles Fain Lehman, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
Dallas is coming off a disheartening loss on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Lightning and has lost 10 of its last 12 games.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 19 Jan. 2026
The disheartening sight of Kittle getting carted off was followed by a 45-yard reception from Jauan Jennings, then three Christian McCaffrey runs that gained just nine yards.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 11 Jan. 2026
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
Verb
Throughout the Heat’s rollercoaster that delivered them to Thursday night’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers after Tuesday night’s disheartening loss to the Milwaukee Bucks at the start of the two-game trip, Spoelstra has prioritized Jaquez’s role with the second team.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 26 Feb. 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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disheartening
Adjective
-
Admittedly, someone older might be critical or discouraging.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Yet seldom is heard a discouraging word when Darnold assesses what happened in New York, Carolina, San Francisco, or Minnesota.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 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
-
None of the emails unearthed so far appear to indicate criminal activity, but are—like the photos—disconcerting.—
Eve Batey,
Vanity Fair,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Here, the opening sentence is disconcerting because the speaker is coming back to a physical space, but is returning from an absence, which is not a physical space.—
Akhil Sharma,
New Yorker,
28 Jan. 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
-
On the surface, that defeat should have been demoralizing, but the reality was very different.—
Patrick Snell,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
-
The demoralizing graffiti marring the main entrance to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 360 Lenox Ave.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
12 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Others displays have felt more dispiriting.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
While a reliable snow shovel is essential, adding smart gadgets like an automatic car starter or a quality ice melt to your arsenal can make those frosty mornings far less daunting.—
Casey DelBasso,
ABC News,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Obtaining a suitable profile can be a daunting task, however, since the DNA samples needed to develop those profiles are often old and degraded, said Kendall Mills of Season of Justice, a nonprofit that fundraises for law enforcement agencies that need advanced DNA analysis but can’t afford it.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The timing, the statewide reach, and the viewpoint-specific framing of the letter present a picture that is, at minimum, deeply troubling.—
Clark Kauffman,
Iowa Capital Dispatch,
27 Feb. 2026
-
More troubling, Hegseth is threatening to invoke the Defense Production Act to compel Anthropic to drop its guardrails.—
Editorial Board,
Washington Post,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disheartening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disheartening. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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