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
Relevance
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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in disconcerting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dismay
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2025
Much to his dismay, though, the Elimination Challenge is to create a tasting menu based on pickles — a food Tristen apparently loathes.
—Caroline Framke, Vulture, 18 Apr. 2025
Kayla Bartsch, National Review, 11 Apr. 2025
So the former Maryland center was dismayed to see how a two-week kerfuffle at his former school resulted in the departures of athletic director Damon Evans, men’s basketball coach Kevin Willard and five players.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 1 Apr. 2025
Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024
Amid the meal, the guest made a dismaying discovery.
—Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 14 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dismay
Noun
There’s no dismay in sight in 2025, only more promises of tax breaks for the wealthy that the U.S. budget deficit cannot afford.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2025
Much to his dismay, though, the Elimination Challenge is to create a tasting menu based on pickles — a food Tristen apparently loathes.
—Caroline Framke, Vulture, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
On a particularly hectic morning — with a baby strapped to her chest — Connell was dismayed to find that her husband had not accomplished his usual morning tasks of emptying the dishwasher and taking out the trash.
—Kayla Bartsch, National Review, 11 Apr. 2025
So the former Maryland center was dismayed to see how a two-week kerfuffle at his former school resulted in the departures of athletic director Damon Evans, men’s basketball coach Kevin Willard and five players.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
The math suggests a dismaying possibility: these votes may very well swing.
—Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024
Amid the meal, the guest made a dismaying discovery.
—Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 14 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dismay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dismay
Noun
-
The move, although not unexpected, was met with disappointment and anger by arts administrators who had counted on the grants to finance ongoing projects.—
Michael Paulson,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
-
Disappointed Steve Dear Steve: The real disappointment comes from slovenly people who throw trash onto our highways, or fail to properly secure their cargo.—
Frank Fellone,
Arkansas Online,
2 May 2025
Noun
-
Democrats and Republicans alike would do well to recognize that increasing polarization is the most likely result of aggressive posturing, spinning us into doom loops of despair.—
Timothy Shriver,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2025
-
Is now a time for optimism or despair over Israel’s environmental record?—
JTA Staff Report,
Sun Sentinel,
5 May 2025
Noun
-
Particularly if Devers' frustration in Boston grows.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 May 2025
-
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
Noun
-
As the moon and sun harmonize, pinpoint the source of your dissatisfaction.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
7 May 2025
-
While the decision is ultimately yours, trusted observers might notice patterns of dissatisfaction, your talents being underutilized, or personality mismatches with bosses or colleagues that no longer register for you.—
Cynthia Pong,
CNBC,
5 May 2025
Adjective
-
That historical tension—between the promise of scientific freedom and the peril of political control—may now be resurfacing in troubling ways.—
Alondra Nelson,
Time,
13 May 2025
-
Grammy-winning artist John Legend opened up about the troubling transformation of longtime collaborator and friend Kanye West in a candid interview with The London Times published on Saturday (May 10).—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
12 May 2025
Adjective
-
As the complexity of SLED can be daunting, it is recommended to start small and learn how SLED contracting works.—
Derek Hoyt,
Forbes.com,
12 May 2025
-
Jiri’s path forward with a big sprawling, expensive festival deep in the shadows of Cannes, Berlin and Venice was fraught with economic hurdles and a daunting search for purpose and relevance in 1994.—
Steven Gaydos,
Variety,
9 May 2025
Adjective
-
Proponents have long invoked civil rights language to promote vouchers, a disturbing rhetorical choice given vouchers originated as a tool for southern white parents to avoid the Supreme Court's desegregation order in Brown v. Board of Education.—
Kevin Sabet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 May 2025
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Actress Isabella Rossellini reflects on the film’s disturbing material and autobiographical elements while resisting reductive interpretations.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2025
Adjective
-
Squeezing into the narrow confines, the clang of the metal doors closing and the nearness of their neighbors can be unsettling, if not downright dangerous.—
Dana O'Neil,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
-
That's unsettling for Mobile native Darron Patterson.—
Debbie Elliott,
NPR,
1 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dismay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dismay. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
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