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
Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2025
To put it mildly, Longo is disheartened by the political climate, by the bullying and attacks on democracy, by war, by the language that renders America as a sports team.
—Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 6 Sep. 2025
Headwinds can be disheartening, but lawmakers don’t easily give up.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 4 Sep. 2025
But for a teenager itching to see more of Britain—and eventually the world—that lack of curiosity was disheartening.
—Rohan Banerjee, Time, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dishearten
Verb
Gunter said she felt particularly disheartened after meeting with the chancellor in the spring, pleading with him to provide more support to students of color on campus.
—Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2025
To put it mildly, Longo is disheartened by the political climate, by the bullying and attacks on democracy, by war, by the language that renders America as a sports team.
—Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 6 Sep. 2025
Headwinds can be disheartening, but lawmakers don’t easily give up.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 4 Sep. 2025
But for a teenager itching to see more of Britain—and eventually the world—that lack of curiosity was disheartening.
—Rohan Banerjee, Time, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dishearten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dishearten
Verb
-
At first, the results were discouraging.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Sep. 2025
-
If the task is itself a learning activity that develops skills or forces cognitive engagement, discourage AI use.—
Dave Tucker,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Much of the country was in despair then as the Great Recession rolled on.—
John Dorfman,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Columnist Nancy Armour knows all about Bears despair.—
Chris Bumbaca,
USA Today,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Ciccone was frustrated to find research was largely focused on boys.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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It’s left supporters on Capitol Hill delighted, frustrated, or wondering what’s next.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Moments after it was confirmed that Charlie Kirk died from a gunshot wound during a college event Wednesday in Utah, several Arkansas political leaders went to social media to express their dismay over the conservative activist's death.—
Ella McCarthy,
Arkansas Online,
10 Sep. 2025
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To the dismay of party insiders, Anderson slipped through the 1994 Republican primary to win the GOP nomination for state attorney general.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dishearten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dishearten. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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