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
Relevance
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 Synonyms for dismays
Verb
-
The lengthy delay to the funeral has raised questions about how Khamenei's remains have been preserved, as Islamic tradition, anaylsts say, generally calls for prompt burial and discourages chemical embalming.
-
Bell on Wednesday reaffirmed his support for Florida’s institutional neutrality policies, which discourages university leaders from taking official positions on political issues in an effort to avoid chilling debate among students and faculty.
Verb
-
Tilling or plowing in the summer disturbs the soil's delicate ecosystem and exposes moist soil to rapid water loss.
-
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.
Verb
-
What frustrates me is when the CTA isn’t there.
-
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.
Verb
-
What bothers me is the foot-dragging, the spinning in circles, the slow degradation of these characters into annoying stereotypes.
-
What bothers me is the implication of a Labubu National Team full of these things.
Verb
-
Mother’s explosion distracts Blaine and frees Sam.
-
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.
Verb
-
That case concerns a longstanding Supreme Court precedent that broadly shields members of such boards from being fired at will, in order to protect them from partisan interference.
-
What concerns me is that many yung people are not indoctrinated about what the flag means.
Verb
-
That question is exactly what worries the people who keep it alive.
-
What worries me most isn’t that AI will become smarter than humans.
Verb
-
He becomes increasingly consumed by the otherworldly dimension, which alarms his therapist, Mary (Renate Reinsve).
-
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.
Cite this Entry
“Dismays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dismays. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
