as in disheartening
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as in discouraging
to lessen the courage or confidence of
dispirited by the overwhelming amount of information needed to write the report
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Recent Examples of dispiriting
Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 9 Apr. 2026
That opened the door for Ramon Laureano to deliver the knockout blow in the form of an RBI single to left, ultimately handing the Red Sox a dispiriting 3-2 loss.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2026
Uddin said there are challenges to operating a food pantry at a high volume, but none more dispiriting than having to say no.
—Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
The 5-2 loss was Toronto’s third straight coming out of the Olympic break and third straight display of dejected, dispiriting, flat and admittedly embarrassing hockey.
—Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2026
Some might take issue that actual recordings get used, but given the message this expertly made film so emphatically presents, that haunting voice makes the film all that more powerful, meaningful and dispiriting.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
In Week 16, Detroit had a first and goal from the 1-yard line in the final seconds against the Pittsburgh Steelers but failed to score the go-ahead touchdown in a dispiriting loss.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 26 Dec. 2025
Then there’s the somewhat dispiriting fact that stadium-level rock bands are dwindling for younger generations, so much so that these offers to push out older acts are almost done by necessity.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025
But in today’s political rhetoric, words increasingly tend toward corrosive and dispiriting.
—The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Oct. 2025
Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 27 May 2026
The general topic of desultory conversation was not the dispiriting trial of the present but the livelier intrigue of courtroom tech-dramas past—of Elizabeth Holmes, which inspired particular nostalgia, or Sam Bankman-Fried.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
That dispiriting news, coupled with consumer sentiment plunging to the lowest point ever recorded, should be enough to set off alarm bells and trigger talk of the economy flirting with recession.
—Greg Petro, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026
After a honeymoon research period, Schlamminger at times found the work dispiriting.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 7 May 2026
All three are mired in different, dispiriting versions of mid-life crises, and get involved in a kinky kinda sorta love triangle.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Bay Hill may feel like unfinished business for Morikawa after a dispiriting runner-up finish in 2025.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026
For those of Republican persuasion, the coming election should be dispiriting for a party that once ruled the Lake County political roost.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
There’s no shortage of dispiriting news, but Wednesday’s gutting of the Washington Post staff was particularly lousy.
—Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
And so that’s the dispiriting, disquieting aspect of the story.
—Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 9 Apr. 2026
That opened the door for Ramon Laureano to deliver the knockout blow in the form of an RBI single to left, ultimately handing the Red Sox a dispiriting 3-2 loss.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2026
Uddin said there are challenges to operating a food pantry at a high volume, but none more dispiriting than having to say no.
—Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
The 5-2 loss was Toronto’s third straight coming out of the Olympic break and third straight display of dejected, dispiriting, flat and admittedly embarrassing hockey.
—Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2026
Some might take issue that actual recordings get used, but given the message this expertly made film so emphatically presents, that haunting voice makes the film all that more powerful, meaningful and dispiriting.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
In Week 16, Detroit had a first and goal from the 1-yard line in the final seconds against the Pittsburgh Steelers but failed to score the go-ahead touchdown in a dispiriting loss.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 26 Dec. 2025
Then there’s the somewhat dispiriting fact that stadium-level rock bands are dwindling for younger generations, so much so that these offers to push out older acts are almost done by necessity.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025
But in today’s political rhetoric, words increasingly tend toward corrosive and dispiriting.
—The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
And, as the season wound to a dispiriting close, there was literal infighting in the dressing room between Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni.
—Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 27 May 2026
The general topic of desultory conversation was not the dispiriting trial of the present but the livelier intrigue of courtroom tech-dramas past—of Elizabeth Holmes, which inspired particular nostalgia, or Sam Bankman-Fried.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
That dispiriting news, coupled with consumer sentiment plunging to the lowest point ever recorded, should be enough to set off alarm bells and trigger talk of the economy flirting with recession.
—Greg Petro, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026
After a honeymoon research period, Schlamminger at times found the work dispiriting.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 7 May 2026
All three are mired in different, dispiriting versions of mid-life crises, and get involved in a kinky kinda sorta love triangle.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Bay Hill may feel like unfinished business for Morikawa after a dispiriting runner-up finish in 2025.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026
For those of Republican persuasion, the coming election should be dispiriting for a party that once ruled the Lake County political roost.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
There’s no shortage of dispiriting news, but Wednesday’s gutting of the Washington Post staff was particularly lousy.
—Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 6 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispiriting
Adjective
-
In this disheartening scenario, the contention is that human knowledge at the edges will be dampened, buried, or rarely presented.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
Drying Your Nails At Home There is nothing more disheartening than taking time to paint your nails at home only to smudge them minutes later.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Similarly, pro-Iran militias in Iran could continue attacks on Gulf nations, including oil ports, possibly discouraging some shipowners from sending tankers into the area, especially the northern Gulf.—
Michael Lynch,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
Many Christians seek to keep a hostile world at bay by discouraging inquiry and critical thinking, by empowering theological enforcers, and by drawing narrow doctrinal boundaries.—
Peter Wehner,
The Atlantic,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Some recent comments from longtime Voicers have been especially dismaying.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
4 June 2026
-
And in the worst cases — a scenario that plays out with dismaying regularity — the executive who championed the project has moved on to another job entirely.—
George Heller,
HollywoodReporter,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
The documentary’s contradiction is right there, enthralling us with the wild achievements Potter pulled off and frustrating us with his bombast, leading us to ponder whether, as The Dark Wizard suggests, either could exist without the other.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
7 May 2026
-
Mack and the Chargers’ defense pressured quarterbacks Jalen Hurts of the Eagles and Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs, frustrating them and keeping them out of their comfort zones.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
20 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The trio also acknowledged how demoralizing and disheartening the recent spate of firings, and the lack of explanation for them, has been.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
11 June 2026
-
No question, the end of the season was deflating and demoralizing.—
Aaron Portzline,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
Adjective
-
Bari Weiss directed the housecleaning at the newsmagazine last week, and Nick Bilton signed the letter telling Scott Pelley he was fired on Tuesday night, but the Paramount CEO owns the decisions and the disconcerting fallout.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
-
The abruptness is disconcerting but can be overcome by learning the pedal’s nuances.—
James Raia,
Mercury News,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
Both of these novels center on a single character who is faced with the daunting task of survival, but the stakes are even higher in Project Hail Mary.—
Esther K. Choy,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
-
And now, there are fresh headwinds that make the math even more daunting.—
John W. Diamond,
Fortune,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
In one particularly troubling case, Chicago-area Endeavor Health continued to allow obstetrician and gynecologist Fabio Ortega access to patients despite receiving complaints.—
Emily Hoerner,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
-
The game got off to a troubling start for Boise, which lost midfielder Charlie Adams to a calf injury in the 7th minute.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dispiriting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispiriting. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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