disillusioned

adjective

dis·​il·​lu·​sion·​ed ˌdis-ə-ˈlü-zhənd How to pronounce disillusioned (audio)
Synonyms of disillusioned
: having lost faith or trust in something formerly regarded as good or valuable
becoming more and more disillusioned with politics
Overworked, tired, disillusioned, with a shaky marriage, the district attorney finally gets a case that he really wants to prosecute.—The New York Times Book Review
The camps grew restive and disillusioned, but refused to give up.—Nora Levin
The disillusioned children of troubled marriages suffer from their parents' transgressions long into adulthood.—Marianne Gingher

Examples of disillusioned in a Sentence

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.
Set in Georgia in the 1970s, the book focuses on Velma Henry, a disillusioned civil rights activist. — Literary Hub, 27 July 2026 Feeling disillusioned and angry, less than two years later in August 2015, Hadley decided to leave her fiancé and stop answering his relentless calls. — Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026 Set in contemporary Iran, A Bit of Light follows a disillusioned doctor who loses faith in the future after being arrested and having his medical practice shut down. — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 23 July 2026 There’s no doubt that leaving an engaged young woman like this one so disillusioned is a failure. — Krista Mehari, The Conversation, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for disillusioned

Word History

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disillusioned was in 1858

Browse Nearby Words

disillusionary
disillusioned
disillusionment
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Disillusioned.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disillusioned. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on disillusioned

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for disillusioned

Nglish: Translation of disillusioned for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of spindrift

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All