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
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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
Monitor Staff, Christian Science Monitor, 22 May 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dismays
Verb
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Watering discourages nesting, so water your lawn frequently.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
18 June 2026
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The Culture Advantage Few Leaders Recognize Every organizational culture rewards certain behaviors and quietly discourages others.—
Tracy Lawrence,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
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The pier in Michigan City’s Washington Park disturbs the natural flow of sand along the lakeshore, creating new land east of the pier but starving beaches to the west, an erosion problem repeated by other manmade structures that jut out into Lake Michigan.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2026
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Regardless, there’s a clear symbolism to Clark empathizing and embracing a bloated externalization of his own inchoate fury until someone with an outside perspective disturbs his peace, and that fury breaks loose and devours him.—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Verb
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What frustrates me is when the CTA isn’t there.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
9 June 2026
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Part of what fascinates and frustrates as regards Ginsberg is that for all of those thick anthologies, propriety forces me to concede that many of the poems simply aren’t that good.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Oh, and more often than not, nobody bothers to check whether the change intervention actually worked, or whether leaders improve their performance after all!—
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
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The government no longer even bothers to disguise itself as a democracy.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Mother’s explosion distracts Blaine and frees Sam.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
22 May 2026
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In my view, platforming these young men and sensationalizing their behaviors, rather than recognizing those behaviors as signs of psychological distress, distracts from the urgent need to address these serious mental health concerns.—
Jordyn Tovey,
The Conversation,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Heuermann has been a voracious reader in jail, but Toulon said the inmate’s preference for violent crime and mystery novels — some about serial killers — concerns him.—
Philip Marcelo,
Fortune,
15 June 2026
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The alleged threat is portrayed as undermining First Amendment protections for freedom of association, which concerns the ability of groups to engage in expression and group activities without government interference.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
15 June 2026
Verb
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Rebecca worries about her husband, whose work as a mechanic can be dangerous.—
Andrew Jones,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
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Greene worries that rising prices and the disappearance of mass-market paperbacks could create a future where fewer readers take chances on unfamiliar authors.—
Josh Rivera,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
Verb
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He becomes increasingly consumed by the otherworldly dimension, which alarms his therapist, Mary (Renate Reinsve).—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
30 May 2026
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The focal point of escalating concern is oldest son Jeremy (Edik Beddoes) whose increasingly erratic behavior alarms those around him, not only for his safety but others as well.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dismays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dismays. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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