DISMAY Synonyms: 203 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'dismay' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of dismay are appall , daunt , and horrify . While all these words mean "to unnerve or deter by arousing fear, apprehension, or aversion," dismay implies that one is disconcerted and at a loss as to how to deal with something. // dismayed at the size of the job

Q: When would 'appall' be a good substitute for 'dismay'?

While the synonyms appall and dismay are close in meaning, appall implies that one is faced with that which perturbs, confounds, or shocks. // I am appalled by your behavior

Q: In what contexts can 'daunt' take the place of 'dismay'?

In some situations, the words daunt and dismay are roughly equivalent. However, daunt suggests a cowing, disheartening, or frightening in a venture requiring courage. // a cliff that would daunt the most intrepid climber

Q: Where would 'horrify' be a reasonable alternative to 'dismay'?

The words horrify and dismay can be used in similar contexts, but horrify stresses a reaction of horror or revulsion. // was horrified by such wanton cruelty

dismay 1 of 2

noun

Definition of dismay

as in disappointment

the emotion felt when one's expectations are not met filled with dismay at not making the finals

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in despair

the state of being discouraged in my dismay I failed to realize that there would be other chances

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dismay

2 of 2

verb

dis-ˈmā

as in to discourage

to lessen the courage or confidence of the imposing climb up the mountain dismayed us even before we got started

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to concern

to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy parents who became increasingly dismayed by their son's foundering marriage

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb dismay contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of dismay are appall, daunt, and horrify. While all these words mean "to unnerve or deter by arousing fear, apprehension, or aversion," dismay implies that one is disconcerted and at a loss as to how to deal with something.

dismayed at the size of the job

When would appall be a good substitute for dismay?

While the synonyms appall and dismay are close in meaning, appall implies that one is faced with that which perturbs, confounds, or shocks.

I am appalled by your behavior

In what contexts can daunt take the place of dismay?

In some situations, the words daunt and dismay are roughly equivalent. However, daunt suggests a cowing, disheartening, or frightening in a venture requiring courage.

a cliff that would daunt the most intrepid climber

Where would horrify be a reasonable alternative to dismay?

The words horrify and dismay can be used in similar contexts, but horrify stresses a reaction of horror or revulsion.

was horrified by such wanton cruelty

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of dismay

Noun

Moore took the cup home and put it in his living room, much to his wife’s dismay. — Elliott Harrell, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2026 The cursed island town in Widow’s Bay has summoned all kinds of supernatural entities, much to the dismay of its residents. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2026

Verb

As a former school principal, I was dismayed and disappointed that there was no mention of parental responsibility. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 20 Sep. 2026 The book marshalled substantial scientific evidence, and reinforced the intuitions of parents dismayed by their phone-addled children. — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dismay

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dismay

Noun

Chastain voiced her disappointment with the decision at the time in a statement shared on social media.

— Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2026
Retiring from the national team seemed to be an option after that World Cup disappointment, but Ronaldo said he was urged to continue by the Portuguese soccer federation president – something which now looks incredibly ill-advised.

— Ben Church, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of disappointment

Noun

Borisov’s brainy, tender, deeply contemplative performance lends an anchoring humanity to a film that might otherwise have curdled into sourness and despair — though there’s plenty of reason for that.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
Ashley Flynn’s sister, Kayla Keyt, said during her victim statement that her family could not overcome their sense of shock and despair after learning that Flynn betrayed them in such a violent and horrible way.

— Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of despair

Verb

According to Vinatieri, Democrats are discouraged by Shapiro’s changing data center stance.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026
The question the hosts were debating, by pointing to a specific subset of one immigrant group, was precisely how incompatible Indian Americans were with American culture, and by what degree Indian immigration should be discouraged.

— Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of discourage

Verb

Grimes is a longtime advocate of AI, particularly concerning its use in music.

— Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026
The narrative structure is perhaps more linear now, even though this part of the story, concerning Pacciani, spans from 1951 to 1996, covering a massively long time frame.

— Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of concern

Verb

For the second time in as many Big 12 games, Kansas’ football team played well enough to frustrate the opposition but not well enough to win.

— Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 11 Oct. 2026
The official said that Rubio had grown increasingly frustrated as the reports multiplied.

— Matthew Lee, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of frustrate

Verb

Investors have grown increasingly alarmed over the eurozone’s debt burden, moribund economic growth, and persistent inflation.

— Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Ayesha Bell Hardaway, a former prosecutor who is a professor of law at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, is alarmed by the dramatic variation across the country.

— Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of alarm

Noun

The financial squeeze has collided with an increasingly fragmented political system, creating opportunities for parties at both ends of the political spectrum to capitalize on public dissatisfaction.

— Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Gen Z is already acting on dissatisfaction, which means the window to build defensible AI practices is closing while adoption curves are still climbing.

— Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of dissatisfaction

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dismantling

dismay

dismayed

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“Dismay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dismay. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

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verb

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