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
  • Silver discourages mildew, mold and bacterial growth through a natural chemical process.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • This discourages foraging wasps and yellowjackets from being attracted to these areas, says Gordon.
    — Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 29 July 2026
Definition of discourages
Verb
  • Tilling or plowing in the summer disturbs the soil's delicate ecosystem and exposes moist soil to rapid water loss.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 24 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of disturbs
Verb
  • What frustrates him more is the way Americans talk about those caught in it.
    — Victor Dey, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • That distinction — chosen versus imposed — is what separates a line that builds anticipation from one that simply frustrates.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 31 July 2026
Definition of frustrates
Verb
  • My concern is what happens when the signal becomes so established that nobody bothers separating it from the qualities it was supposed to represent.
    — Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The result is a bunch of people losing their jobs, which really bothers me.
    — Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of bothers
Verb
  • This cultural debate distracts from systemic policy failures and the high cost of raising children, which makes motherhood an economic battleground.
    — Julia Korn, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • Mother’s explosion distracts Blaine and frees Sam.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 22 May 2026
Definition of distracts
Verb
  • By identifying exactly what the frustration concerns before reacting, leaders are more likely to channel emotion toward fixing broken systems instead of attacking individuals.
    — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Some users may not want their Twitch content used to train Amazon AI because of a lack of financial benefit, concerns that AI could cannibalize their business, or an aversion to the broader Amazon conglomerate.
    — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of concerns
Verb
  • The risk worries Natalie Thorpe, whose 3-year-old daughter tested high for lead as a baby.
    — Chris Bowling, ProPublica, 10 Aug. 2026
  • County Commission Chairman Mark Jerrell worries the state’s plan will place a larger burden on larger counties such as Mecklenburg, which account for more of the state’s SNAP recipients.
    — Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 10 Aug. 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 17 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of dismays for Spanish Speakers

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