as in discouraging
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as in frustrating
to lessen the courage or confidence of
we were disheartened by the news that our grandmother was seriously ill
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Recent Examples of disheartening
Charles Fain Lehman, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
Dallas is coming off a disheartening loss on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Lightning and has lost 10 of its last 12 games.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 19 Jan. 2026
The disheartening sight of Kittle getting carted off was followed by a 45-yard reception from Jauan Jennings, then three Christian McCaffrey runs that gained just nine yards.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 11 Jan. 2026
To vocalize the belief that the lawsuit was partisan politics instead of concerned citizens speaking up, is very disheartening.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 7 Jan. 2026
And if that weren’t bad enough, Kansas City got some disheartening injury news after the game that will make quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ life even more difficult.
—Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025
For those dealing with the disheartening struggles of infertility, this is good news.
—Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 29 Oct. 2025
Perhaps the only bright spot in a disheartening loss, this unit got plays from every rotation player.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 5 Oct. 2025
At the end of the day, the result was a bit disheartening.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2025
Talia McWright, Twin Cities, 24 Dec. 2025
That’s also why there’s something especially disheartening about mediocrity on a grand scale, as with the glut of overproduced, overblown franchise films, which lack both personalized imagination and the more modest virtue of clear observation.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2025
Kelce went deeper on what has been disheartening this season.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 19 Nov. 2025
As for the media coverage surrounding his death, the false narratives are disheartening and disrespectful to the legacy of a wonderful man.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
Add a breast cancer diagnosis—with its potential surgeries, scars and treatment side effects—and the pressure to conform to outdated beauty standards can feel disheartening.
—Tabitha Britt, Flow Space, 30 Oct. 2025
To see a government shut down on the heels of that progress is disheartening, Explore Asheville CEO Vic Isley said.
—Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 3 Oct. 2025
Though disheartening, its abrupt cancellation wasn’t uncommon, especially for television shows that featured Black talent.
—Essence, 18 Sep. 2025
Fear of failure Failure can be disheartening, embarrassing and often downright devastating — especially in entrepreneurship, when your reputation and finances could be on the line.
—Ashton Jackson, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
If right, their conclusion implies a disheartening lesson amid the otherwise-welcome news.
—Charles Fain Lehman, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
Dallas is coming off a disheartening loss on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Lightning and has lost 10 of its last 12 games.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 19 Jan. 2026
The disheartening sight of Kittle getting carted off was followed by a 45-yard reception from Jauan Jennings, then three Christian McCaffrey runs that gained just nine yards.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 11 Jan. 2026
To vocalize the belief that the lawsuit was partisan politics instead of concerned citizens speaking up, is very disheartening.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 7 Jan. 2026
And if that weren’t bad enough, Kansas City got some disheartening injury news after the game that will make quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ life even more difficult.
—Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025
For those dealing with the disheartening struggles of infertility, this is good news.
—Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 29 Oct. 2025
Perhaps the only bright spot in a disheartening loss, this unit got plays from every rotation player.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 5 Oct. 2025
At the end of the day, the result was a bit disheartening.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2025
Verb
Assistance from other churches The fire in their beloved church has been disheartening, Afanasyev said.
—Talia McWright, Twin Cities, 24 Dec. 2025
That’s also why there’s something especially disheartening about mediocrity on a grand scale, as with the glut of overproduced, overblown franchise films, which lack both personalized imagination and the more modest virtue of clear observation.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2025
Kelce went deeper on what has been disheartening this season.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 19 Nov. 2025
As for the media coverage surrounding his death, the false narratives are disheartening and disrespectful to the legacy of a wonderful man.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
Add a breast cancer diagnosis—with its potential surgeries, scars and treatment side effects—and the pressure to conform to outdated beauty standards can feel disheartening.
—Tabitha Britt, Flow Space, 30 Oct. 2025
To see a government shut down on the heels of that progress is disheartening, Explore Asheville CEO Vic Isley said.
—Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 3 Oct. 2025
Though disheartening, its abrupt cancellation wasn’t uncommon, especially for television shows that featured Black talent.
—Essence, 18 Sep. 2025
Fear of failure Failure can be disheartening, embarrassing and often downright devastating — especially in entrepreneurship, when your reputation and finances could be on the line.
—Ashton Jackson, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disheartening
Adjective
-
Their status has been diminished by what has — charitably — been a really discouraging decade, featuring two separate relegations.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
-
High taxes squeeze margins and send a discouraging signal to firms.—
Andrew Rein,
New York Daily News,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Fitting a narrow criteria There’s a more disconcerting reason why so few applied — DeSantis’ exceedingly narrow preference for right-wing soulmates and fellow members of the Federalist Society.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Stray Hairs Stray hairs lingering in the tub drain, on the floor, or in the sink can be quite disconcerting.—
Lauren Landers,
The Spruce,
19 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
With little to no foil for this dismaying existence, however, Half His Age often succumbs to shock value in lieu of pushing beyond that which offends.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Democratic leaders actually were troubled by Mamdani’s rise (although their preference for a disgraced former governor was equally dismaying), but Democratic voters handed Mamdani a solid victory despite his radical positions.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
28 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
UConn shot 8-for-15 from 3-point range in the first half to Creighton’s 5-for-10, and went on a demoralizing 10-2 scoring run over the final two minutes of the half to take a 41-30 lead into the break.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
1 Feb. 2026
-
After a year of lackluster hiring and an increasingly demoralizing job-search process, many are sitting out the slog of finding new work altogether.—
Jennifer Liu,
CNBC,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
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
Adjective
-
Several New Jersey school districts are planning to welcome students back on Tuesday, but some places, like Jersey City, have been forced to cancel classes for a second day due to the clean-up after the snowstorm proving to be a daunting task.—
Andrew Ramos,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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But procrastinating can make the chore feel more daunting and perpetuate the cycle of not wanting to do it at all.—
Jasmin Suknanan,
CNBC,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Recent casting decisions around the character Zoe Gutierrez in A 24’s Deep Cuts have exposed a troubling pattern.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The last two days have forced me to take a very hard look at my own troubling flaws.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disheartening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disheartening. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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