1
as in discouraging
to lessen the courage or confidence of
the imposing climb up the mountain dismayed us even before we got started
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in alarming
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
parents who became increasingly dismayed by their son's foundering marriage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in disconcerting
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dismaying
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 27 June 2025
For the Congolese government, the ineffective Western responses follow a dismaying pattern.
—Michela Wrong, Foreign Affairs, 3 Mar. 2025
Americans, and a dismaying number of politicians, keep crying for a crackdown on crimes that aren’t happening.
—F.k. Plous, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2025
The late President’s priorities were remarkably prescient, and his personal qualities offered a dismaying contrast to so much of the present state of American politics.
—Erin Neil, The New Yorker, 30 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dismaying
Verb
And developers who take on the spatial complexities of working with old architecture face a dismaying array of bureaucratic and financial challenges.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 27 June 2025
For the Congolese government, the ineffective Western responses follow a dismaying pattern.
—Michela Wrong, Foreign Affairs, 3 Mar. 2025
Americans, and a dismaying number of politicians, keep crying for a crackdown on crimes that aren’t happening.
—F.k. Plous, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2025
The late President’s priorities were remarkably prescient, and his personal qualities offered a dismaying contrast to so much of the present state of American politics.
—Erin Neil, The New Yorker, 30 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dismaying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dismaying
Verb
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In fact, immunization is a dicey-enough financial proposition that the administration’s anti-vaccine policies already are discouraging providers from stocking some immunizations.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
3 Oct. 2025
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Before her groundbreaking discoveries made headlines around the world, Goodall endured long, discouraging stretches in the field.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Browning has thrown eight interceptions in four starts, which was alarming enough for the Bengals to make a move.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
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But also alarming is that government officials don’t seem to take seriously the need to justify the reasons for their use of force, which should only be wielded to protect the rights of Americans.—
Agustina Vergara Cid,
Oc Register,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The result was a disconcerting 31-28 loss that relegated the Chiefs to 2-3 and leaves us to question anew just who and what this team is.—
Chris Ochsner,
Kansas City Star,
7 Oct. 2025
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Overall, more disconcerting for staffers at the network are Paramount’s plans for significant layoffs later this year.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When a school principal (Ashley Padilla) and a teacher (Mikey Day) reprimand a student (Hernandez) for disturbing drawings of him attacking the principal, the student’s father (Bad Bunny) comes in, and Padilla’s principal, immediately smitten, changes course to hitting on the student’s father.—
Rima Parikh,
Vulture,
5 Oct. 2025
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Something, the researchers said, must be disturbing these orbits and tilting them.—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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At the end of the day, the result was a bit disheartening.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
14 Sep. 2025
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Seeing that textbook go to waste felt very disheartening.—
Sami Khan,
Mercury News,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Thankfully, with the Ecovacs Deebot X9 Pro Omni, worrying about cleaning up has become a thing of the past.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
4 Oct. 2025
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Hurricanes far out into the ocean give forecasters the opportunity to observe the powerful heat machines without worrying about catastrophic landfalls.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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That's what makes reports of Wikipedia's systemic bias especially troubling.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
6 Oct. 2025
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For many 007 fans who commented online, the artwork situation may have been a troubling look to the future of James Bond, especially with a new film being readied and Denis Villeneuve in the director’s chair.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Several moves Paramount has made since Ellison’s team took over have proved distracting to CBS News.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
6 Oct. 2025
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The whole idea is to choose something that isn't too distracting.—
Sarah Lyon,
Southern Living,
5 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dismaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dismaying. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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