dismays

verb

present tense third-person singular of dismay
1
as in discourages
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 disturbs
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

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 dismays This exploration of the American grasslands – from soil, water, and insects to farmers, plows, and buffalo – dismays, yes, but also invigorates. — Monitor Staff, Christian Science Monitor, 22 May 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dismays
  1. discourages
  2. disturbs
  3. frustrates
  4. bothers
  5. distracts
  6. concerns
  7. worries
  8. alarms
Verb
  • The studies also cannot tell us whether the threat of punishment under Maryland’s law discourages people from creating or spreading deepfakes.
    — Stefani Langehennig, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Depriving the plant of light discourages the development of chlorophyll—the green plant pigment responsible for color—and rids the chicory of an unpleasant flavor.
    — Tamar Adler, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of discourages
Verb
  • Some of the sightings claim a man wearing clothing typical of the 17th or 18th centuries, a man dressed in Confederate attire in the liquor room, a ghost of a former worker Joseph Hardesty and a female who actively disturbs visitors to her home.
    — Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Vibration disturbs the natural sediments in wine, flattening the flavor and aging it prematurely.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of disturbs
Verb
  • Maybe that is why this political language frustrates me so much.
    — Angelette C. Aviles, Baltimore Sun, 19 Sep. 2026
  • One thing that Davidson said frustrates him about social media is people who aren’t personally connected to the tragedy often use it as a meme.
    — Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of frustrates
Verb
  • This is why the sameness creeping into corporate communications right now bothers me more than the question of whether AI can write a good press release.
    — Amanda Simonian, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Kurt's key takeaways What bothers me most about DoppelCart is how convincing these fake stores can look.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of bothers
Verb
  • Often, undercapitalization is a major challenge for new franchisees and distracts from operations.
    — Angelo Chavez, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Scientists now are spending an increasing amount of time worrying about keeping the lights on and people employed, which ultimately distracts from time spent doing research.
    — Abdullah Shihipar, STAT, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of distracts
Verb
  • Emirati prosecutors opened an investigation after a co-pilot stabbed his captain mid-flight, asserting jurisdiction over a crime that also concerns Saudi Arabia and Israel.
    — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Arguably the most important question in percolation theory concerns the transition from a system with only finite clusters to one with infinite clusters.
    — Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of concerns
Verb
  • Wilner-Deering worries that the attention paid to Epstein’s associates has crowded out what survivors have said happened to them.
    — Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The Iranian regime also worries that its favorable position will not last forever.
    — Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of worries
Verb
  • That prospect alarms those in Europe, who fear FIFA could increasingly challenge their competitions for space on an already overcrowded calendar.
    — Clemente Lisi, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • He becomes increasingly consumed by the otherworldly dimension, which alarms his therapist, Mary (Renate Reinsve).
    — Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 30 May 2026
Definition of alarms

Browse Nearby Words

dismaying
dismays
dismember
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Cite this Entry

“Dismays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dismays. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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