crestfallen

adjective

crest·​fall·​en ˈkrest-ˌfȯ-lən How to pronounce crestfallen (audio)
Synonyms of crestfallennext
1
: very sad and disappointed : dejected
After losing the playoff game, the team was crestfallen.
2
: having a drooping crest or hanging head
crestfallenly adverb
crestfallenness noun

Examples of crestfallen in a Sentence

she was crestfallen when she found out she hadn't got the job
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
After Operation Midway Blitz ripped through Chicago last fall, Vargas was crestfallen to see families stay home from weekly Mass or even self-deport out of fear. Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026 Malek, with an insular and crestfallen moodiness, plays Jimmy as a man caught between liberation and AIDS, between wanting to be a breakout performer and waiting to stay true to his subversive drag soul. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 20 May 2026 Neumann played the crestfallen Hugh Grant after his 1995 arrest for solicitation in Los Angeles; Brinkmann was more defiant, her left fist raised, in her imitation of Jane Fonda’s legendary arrest photo from 1970. Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2026 Here, though, the crestfallen faces in the crowd tell their own story after West Bromwich Albion had outclassed Wrexham in the first home game at this level for 43 years. Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 11 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for crestfallen

Word History

Etymology

see crest entry 1

First Known Use

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of crestfallen was in 1589

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Cite this Entry

“Crestfallen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crestfallen. Accessed 31 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

crestfallen

adjective
crest·​fall·​en ˈkrest-ˌfȯ-lən How to pronounce crestfallen (audio)
: very sad and disappointed

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