1
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
2
as in despair
the state of being discouraged
in my dismay I failed to realize that there would be other chances
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
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
2
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dismay
Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 26 Apr. 2025
At 48, Miller had floundered and bumbled through a 20-year career, to the dismay of his superiors, who could not muster the will to fire him.
—Christopher Goffard, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Bloomberg/Via Getty Images President Trump's announcements on tariffs have dismayed many of his erstwhile supporters on Wall Street.
—Steve Inskeep, NPR, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dismay
Noun
To the dismay of many, the 1882 KKK Act, meant to protect Black people from physical harm, was amazingly ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
—Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 26 Apr. 2025
At 48, Miller had floundered and bumbled through a 20-year career, to the dismay of his superiors, who could not muster the will to fire him.
—Christopher Goffard, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
Verb
However, alarmed and dismayed by Trump’s expressed goal of annexing Greenland, some in Copenhagen now regret that procurement, Business Insider reported.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Bloomberg/Via Getty Images President Trump's announcements on tariffs have dismayed many of his erstwhile supporters on Wall Street.
—Steve Inskeep, NPR, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dismay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dismay
Noun
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More than two decades of disappointment, playoff droughts and heartbreak led to this jubilant moment as thousands of fans turned Midtown Manhattan into a modern-day Woodstock.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
17 May 2025
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The stakes are high for a Toronto team with a history of postseason disappointment, and James Mirtle thinks Wednesday’s ugly loss could be their worst yet.—
Sarah Jean Maher,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
Noun
-
Emond’s script deftly contrives a third act that’s hopeful but still flecked with genuine despair.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
20 May 2025
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But the despair from another losing fall subsided months ago, and winter, at last, has melted away.—
Matt Baker,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
Verb
-
Dimon, a heavyweight of traditional finance, has consistently used his perch to discourage regular investors and other financial leaders from getting involved.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
20 May 2025
-
To discourage thieves and curiosity seekers, two feet of concrete was poured over his casket.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
19 May 2025
Verb
-
Its dual narrative concerns a set of perverse medical experiments about human consciousness performed in an early-20th-century Argentine sanitorium and, a century later, an outsider artist who carries forth the legacy of these trials in grotesque ways.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2025
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This was not the first time school officials had been concerned with the boy’s behavior.—
Dalia Faheid,
CNN Money,
15 May 2025
Noun
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Particularly if Devers' frustration in Boston grows.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 May 2025
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The night was maddening enough that, after the sixth inning, Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior was ejected for expressing his frustration with home-plate umpire Jeremie Rehak’s strike zone — the first ejection of Prior’s baseball life.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
10 May 2025
Verb
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The naming practices can frustrate efforts to track the chemicals in food, to measure how much of the stuff people are taking in, and even to figure out precisely which chemicals a scientific study evaluated, researchers said.—
David Hilzenrath,
CNN Money,
19 May 2025
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Alex Caruso, the 6-foot-5 defensive savant who spent so much of the evening frustrating the 6-11 Nikola Jokić, was the real MVP of the night (Jokić had 20 points on 5-of-9 shooting, with nine rebounds, seven assists and five turnovers).—
Sam Amick,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
Verb
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The rapid expansion of the Camp House Fire, Jenkins Creek Fire and Munger Shaw Fire has alarmed officials.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 May 2025
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Democrats and some Republicans are also alarmed over the ethics of accepting such an expensive gift from a foreign country.—
Jeremy Bogaisky,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2025
Noun
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Despite the high level of dissatisfaction with a broad range of Donald Trump's policies, unfortunately, independents are not yet prepared to abandon their support for him.—
Tom Rogers and Susan Del Percio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 May 2025
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And a healthy dose of dissatisfaction about the tough economic times facing many Californians.—
Phil Willon,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dismay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dismay. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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