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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dispiriting
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
20 June 2026
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
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
After a long international flight, the lines at passport control and immigration can be dispiriting.
—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
13 June 2026
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
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
Adjective
The exits of the two men, who both identify as gay, will also mark a dispiriting step backward for LGBTQ+ representation in the C‑suite.
—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
20 June 2026
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
Verb
Tess, meanwhile, suggests a more vulnerable reality behind that brittle exterior—a faith that talent and perseverance can pay off, a desire for agency amid dispiriting circumstances.
—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
After a long international flight, the lines at passport control and immigration can be dispiriting.
—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
13 June 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispiriting
Adjective
-
Still, during a summer when the Tigers are trying to resuscitate their season after a disheartening May, process creates only so much comfort.
-
Though 2025 was a disappointing five-loss campaign that opened with a disheartening 34-7 defeat at USF and ended in similar fashion (38-10) against Washington in the LA Bowl, Spencer Danielson’s Broncos nonetheless won another Mountain West title.
Verb
-
Already rising demand was turbocharged last fall when the Food and Drug Administration removed a more than 20-year-old black box warning discouraging women from taking hormone replacement therapy.
-
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, said in a social media post that the higher fees appear aimed at discouraging people who already have permanent resident status from becoming full citizens.
Adjective
-
Some recent comments from longtime Voicers have been especially dismaying.
-
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.
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.
-
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.
Adjective
-
The early goal from Germany was a bit demoralizing for the South American team, but Nilson Angulo was able to shake it off with a beautiful shot in the ninth minute to equalize.
-
The trio also acknowledged how demoralizing and disheartening the recent spate of firings, and the lack of explanation for them, has been.
Adjective
-
The traditional avenue for dealing with this disconcerting situation would be to hire specialist counselors trained as therapists and psychologists and station them at the schools for ready access by students.
-
In the finale, Matthew’s scenes with K Callan, who plays Ruth, are really disconcerting.
Adjective
-
The greater the distance, the more daunting the challenge.
-
College graduates face a daunting job market.
Adjective
-
Such hallucinatory citations are, according to judges and lawyers, troubling at a variety of levels, including for their threat to the integrity of the judicial system.
-
In the most troubling times and with his country under attack, Max quickly became a beloved and integral part of the ABC News team, reporting at the heart of one of the most devastating wars in modern history.
Cite this Entry
“Dispiriting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispiriting. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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