as in to discourage
to lessen the courage or confidence of
we were disheartened by the news that our grandmother was seriously ill
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in despair
the state of being discouraged
our excusable disheartenment in the face of overwhelming odds against winning the game
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dishearten
Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
Assistance from other churches The fire in their beloved church has been disheartening, Afanasyev said.
—Talia McWright, Twin Cities, 24 Dec. 2025
Overland Park resident Sarah Andrews is also disheartened by the abrupt closing.
—Beth Lipoff, Kansas City Star, 17 Dec. 2025
During a brief break from touring at the beginning of March, Colonel wrote to Tom Diskin, clearly disheartened by his inability to make any headway with Neal.
—CBS News, 7 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dishearten
Verb
But Trump has also disheartened Iranians by downplaying the regime’s violence.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
Assistance from other churches The fire in their beloved church has been disheartening, Afanasyev said.
—Talia McWright, Twin Cities, 24 Dec. 2025
Overland Park resident Sarah Andrews is also disheartened by the abrupt closing.
—Beth Lipoff, Kansas City Star, 17 Dec. 2025
During a brief break from touring at the beginning of March, Colonel wrote to Tom Diskin, clearly disheartened by his inability to make any headway with Neal.
—CBS News, 7 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dishearten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dishearten
Verb
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Some borrowers have become discouraged by the wait, experts say.—
Annie Nova,
CNBC,
9 Feb. 2026
-
High speeds discourage sidewalk activity, reduce visibility for storefronts, and make outdoor dining feel risky rather than inviting.—
Tim Giuliani,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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There’s a little extra despair considering who is coaching the Patriots.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
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The band’s energy is not one of despair – like so many others – but one of Esperanza.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Analysts pointed out that investors may have also been frustrated by AMD's lack of new customer announcements.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
4 Feb. 2026
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Outside of public transit, Muns highlighted the city’s work on Plano’s roads to improve transportation for residents — road work that has frustrated some.—
Lilly Kersh,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Pretti’s killing, in particular, struck a chord of dismay with a cross section of Americans.—
Tressie McMillan Cottom,
Mercury News,
7 Feb. 2026
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As Aleppo’s defenses crumbled, Assad remained in Moscow, to the shock and dismay of his commanders back home.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dishearten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dishearten. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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