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
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
The program’s recent struggles disheartened him.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2026
After a lot of research, a little disheartened.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dishearten
Verb
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
The program’s recent struggles disheartened him.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2026
After a lot of research, a little disheartened.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dishearten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dishearten
Verb
-
The income that a proficiency with needle and thread commands relative to the skills needed and the physical toll of bending over detailed work for hours likely discourages teenagers and young adults from heeding Bae’s advice, fashion industry experts said.—
Anne D’Innocenzio,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
-
In 2019, the odds for the three worst teams were flattened, as a way to discourage teams from racing to the bottom.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
April, a season of hope for many, was always a month of despair for them.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
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Nastiness can be framed as a function of mourning a loved one, as with Dorinda’s rants on RHONY; or despair over personal crises, as with RHOC star Shannon Beador’s DUI and car crash.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Despite that, Bunnell and his neighbor, Tom Williams, who received the same notice, are frustrated by the inconvenience.—
Luzdelia Caballero,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
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Homeowners across Central Florida have been frustrated to find their piles of dead leaves, branches and plants — victims of February’s hard freeze — still sitting on their curbs because waste haulers haven’t picked it up on time.—
Ryan Gillespie,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Perhaps the most volatile split ripped the aforementioned Cassie and Maddy apart, after the former struck up a relationship with Maddy's ex, Nate (Jacob Elordi), much to the latter's dismay.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Apr. 2026
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To his dismay, Frederik learned this week that FIFA had changed the seating map at Arrowhead.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dishearten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dishearten. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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