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
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
What’s dismaying is this was yet another opportunity for the Bears to close out a game — in this instance, Williams could have ended things with a 99-yard touchdown drive — and be celebrating a massive performance by the rookie.
—Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 29 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dismaying
Verb
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
What’s dismaying is this was yet another opportunity for the Bears to close out a game — in this instance, Williams could have ended things with a 99-yard touchdown drive — and be celebrating a massive performance by the rookie.
—Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 29 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dismaying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dismaying
Verb
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Actions by officials in the two countries are also discouraging Canadian tourists from looking south.—
Skyler Swisher,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 Apr. 2025
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Good air circulation will allow leaves and stems to dry out, discouraging disease.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Don’t come over here disturbing my peace if mahogany queens aren’t your preferred type.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
10 Apr. 2025
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Crimping is the process of severing a crop at the base and laying it over to create a decomposing thatch/mulch layer for the garden without disturbing the soil.—
Anthony Reardon,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Overweight and obesity need to be treated safely and effectively to avoid that worrying forecast.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 Dec. 2024
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Bitcoin has dropping back from its all-time high of over $100,000 in the last week as BlackRock quietly confirmed a worrying bitcoin bombshell.—
Billy Bambrough,
Forbes,
24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Her diet grew so troubling that a foster family admitted her to Four Winds Hospital in Saratoga, New York, for an eating disorder.—
Noelle Wiehe,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 Aug. 2025
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Gauff tossed 16 double faults for the match, a troubling trend that was evident at the Canadian Open.—
Lukas Weese,
New York Times,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Occupying and distracting the mind.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
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While most of the acting is wonderful (Wyle is predictably great, but so is just about all of the main cast), some patient-of-the-week players err towards distracting histrionics.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The many hours involved in pushing a mortgage across the finish line were daunting, the work tedious and dull, both for me and my clients.—
Michael Ashley,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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Young people juggling part-time jobs and insurance options face bumpy, daunting transitions.—
Elisabeth Rosenthal,
Miami Herald,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Rodin Cars The big idea behind Rodin is to build cars without bothering about vehicle regulations – in stark contrast to F1 cars, which are subject to several rules around how they're put together.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 Jan. 2025
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The city and state have also been ramping up efforts to engage troubled vagrants sleeping and sometimes bothering straphangers, connecting them with services and shelter and potentially involuntary treatment.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Their story was both deeply familiar and powerfully unsettling.—
Sam Wolson,
New Yorker,
7 Aug. 2025
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The novel is unsettling but thrilling, and a classic work that has stood the test of time.—
Robert English,
EW.com,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dismaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dismaying. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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