DISHEARTENING Synonyms: 114 Similar and Opposite Words

disheartening 1 of 2

adjective

as in discouraging

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Dissimilar Words

disheartening

2 of 2

verb

present participle of dishearten

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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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of disheartening

Adjective

Selina Wang, the lead author of the study, says the findings are particularly disheartening, as avocado oil products are often much more expensive than those made with olive or other vegetable oils. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 24 July 2026 That process repeats over and over and can be very disheartening to the team. — Peter Nelson, ArsTechnica, 10 July 2026 Still, during a summer when the Tigers are trying to resuscitate their season after a disheartening May, process creates only so much comfort. — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 25 June 2026 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. — Tom Layberger, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026 Drying Your Nails At Home There is nothing more disheartening than taking time to paint your nails at home only to smudge them minutes later. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 27 May 2026 And now this disheartening accounting error. — Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 25 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 The crocodile’s rare appearance represented a disheartening degradation but a hopeful sign of what the Niger Delta, if salvaged, can still become — an eco-diverse paradise akin to the Amazon or Costa Rica, that feeds its populace and attracts foreign visitors wanting to witness nature’s glory. — Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026

Verb

There is nothing quite as disheartening of a travel mishap than arriving to your destination (or back home) and not finding your luggage on the carousel at the airport. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 22 July 2026 These answers reflect a pretty clear, if slightly disheartening, picture of what is in store for the Falcons at the quarterback position. — Josh Kendall, New York Times, 16 July 2026 Gomez said the search has been disheartening, with their hopes of staying in the city of Hammond beginning to wane. — Anna Ortiz, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2026 The trio also acknowledged how demoralizing and disheartening the recent spate of firings, and the lack of explanation for them, has been. — Marlow Stern, Variety, 11 June 2026 And Saturday’s walkoff loss to the Rangers was especially disheartening. — Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 31 May 2026 Kantor said the data is disheartening. — Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 2026 While the unknown status is disheartening, Nepola recalls how the series, first brought to the air in 2011, was once thought to be gone for good only to be resurrected by Peacock in 2021. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026 If that is what our cops are hearing and no one steps up to say otherwise, that can be disheartening. — Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 20 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for disheartening

Adjective

Despite the discouraging landscape, recruiters and career experts say there are still ways for recent graduates to stand out.

— Alyshia Hull, USA Today, 28 July 2026
Abigail Simon-Hart is all too familiar with these discouraging trends.

— Durrie Bouscaren, NPR, 25 July 2026

Definition of discouraging

Verb

But Algo’s hyper-logical, computerised process of consistently picking the favourites to win was undone in the second match of the day, with Ghana frustrating England in a 0-0 draw.

— The Athletic Soccer Experts, New York Times, 24 June 2026
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.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 7 May 2026

Definition of frustrating

Adjective

There was a brief, disconcerting interlude of quiet from the Argentina fans after that.

— Sam Knight, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
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.

— Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026

Definition of disconcerting

Adjective

Most dismaying to me was the group’s seemingly endless tinkering with the menu at Rowdy Rooster, its fast-casual fried-chicken spot, including a downgrade in the chicken’s range of heat.

— Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 19 July 2026
Some recent comments from longtime Voicers have been especially dismaying.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 4 June 2026

Definition of dismaying

Adjective

The New York Mets’ big spending has backfired even more this season, though the club’s long-term picture isn’t quite as demoralizing as San Francisco’s.

— Tim Britton, New York Times, 27 July 2026
The Lions would go on to suffer a demoralizing 4-1 loss to Germany that same year in a round of 16 match staged at an altitude of 4,600 feet.

— Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of demoralizing

Adjective

Coming home to Cleveland James’ four years in Miami featured two championships sandwiched between two dispiriting losses in the NBA Finals.

— Mark Selig, New York Times, 23 July 2026
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

Definition of dispiriting

Adjective

Flapping Airplanes is trying to wrangle one of the more daunting technical challenges of the current AI wave.

— Rashi Shrivastava, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
During their conversation, all three stressed that moving their bodies had an immeasurable impact on their mental and physical health during the most daunting stages of recovery.

— Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 31 July 2026

Definition of daunting

Adjective

But repeatedly rationalizing troubling information and warning signs is different.

— Kathy Caprino, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Evidence displayed at the preliminary hearing greatly expanded on that document, providing a lengthy and troubling account of Burke and Hernandez’s relationship.

— Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026

Definition of troubling

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disheartened

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“Disheartening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disheartening. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of disheartening

adjective

verb

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