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
Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 7 Apr. 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
All these elements evolved against a dispiriting backdrop.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 24 Feb. 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
By studying the moon's size, the chemical makeup of its rocky core and the gravitational forces at work from the gas giant Jupiter, a team of scientists came to a conclusion that may be dispiriting to those searching for life beyond Earth.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
Navigating the city’s shelter system alone can be dispiriting and fruitless.
—Saumya Roy, The Dial, 6 Jan. 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 that’s reason enough to have your glass half full amid an albeit dispiriting time to be a fan of this team.
—Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 7 Apr. 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
All these elements evolved against a dispiriting backdrop.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 24 Feb. 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
By studying the moon's size, the chemical makeup of its rocky core and the gravitational forces at work from the gas giant Jupiter, a team of scientists came to a conclusion that may be dispiriting to those searching for life beyond Earth.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
Navigating the city’s shelter system alone can be dispiriting and fruitless.
—Saumya Roy, The Dial, 6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispiriting
Adjective
-
Transplant Shock is Avoidable Inviting the opportunity for transplant shock has got to be one of the most disheartening gardening mistakes out there.—
Tessa Cooper,
Southern Living,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Sure, the Longhorns (21-15, 9-9) endured an up-and-down regular season and suffered a disheartening loss to Ole Miss in the first round of the SEC Tournament.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Bermudez believes the freeway closure may be discouraging visitors from coming into the city this weekend, despite favorable weather.—
Da Lin,
CBS News,
19 Apr. 2026
-
While discouraging teams from being truly awful has merit, this structure would retain the incentive for middle-of-the-road teams to become worse.—
Lev Akabas,
Sportico.com,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The keenness of my letdown was dismaying.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
-
But there’s another side to this story, equally dismaying, which is the abandonment of dissidents as a public cause in the West.—
Bret Stephens,
Mercury News,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
-
Other times, the long wait for permanent housing proves demoralizing.—
Andrew Khouri,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
-
By the time Ambassador Martin authorized an evacuation, the only way out—since Martin had vetoed a proposal to put refugees on freighters and take them down the Saigon River to the coast (too demoralizing a spectacle)—was by helicopter.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
There are plenty of inconveniences frequent air travelers have become accustomed to, from long security lines to shrinking overhead storage bins, but few are as disconcerting as heavy turbulence in flight.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Apr. 2026
-
About 20 miles southwest of Indianapolis, Mooresville residents report finding dirty water filters turning a disconcerting brown.—
Karl Schneider,
IndyStar,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Francisco parred the final hole — a daunting 397-yard par-4 — to cap a 3-under 67 at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Back home and living in their parents’ hillside mansions, they’ll be faced with the daunting reality of confronting unresolved drama while trying to define what’s next for their lives and relationships.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Other recent polls of Latino voters show similar troubling signs for Republicans as the November mid-term elections approach.—
Andres Oppenheimer,
Miami Herald,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Dionne Koller, professor of law at the University of Baltimore and director of the Center for Sport and the Law, said the frequency of incidents is troubling.—
Edward Lee,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dispiriting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispiriting. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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