as in to discourage
to lessen the courage or confidence of
we were disheartened by the news that our grandmother was seriously ill
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in despair
the state of being discouraged
our excusable disheartenment in the face of overwhelming odds against winning the game
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 dishearten
Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
Assistance from other churches The fire in their beloved church has been disheartening, Afanasyev said.
—Talia McWright, Twin Cities, 24 Dec. 2025
Overland Park resident Sarah Andrews is also disheartened by the abrupt closing.
—Beth Lipoff, Kansas City Star, 17 Dec. 2025
During a brief break from touring at the beginning of March, Colonel wrote to Tom Diskin, clearly disheartened by his inability to make any headway with Neal.
—CBS News, 7 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dishearten
Verb
But Trump has also disheartened Iranians by downplaying the regime’s violence.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
Assistance from other churches The fire in their beloved church has been disheartening, Afanasyev said.
—Talia McWright, Twin Cities, 24 Dec. 2025
Overland Park resident Sarah Andrews is also disheartened by the abrupt closing.
—Beth Lipoff, Kansas City Star, 17 Dec. 2025
During a brief break from touring at the beginning of March, Colonel wrote to Tom Diskin, clearly disheartened by his inability to make any headway with Neal.
—CBS News, 7 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dishearten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dishearten
Verb
-
Some borrowers have become discouraged by the wait, experts say.—
Annie Nova,
CNBC,
9 Feb. 2026
-
High speeds discourage sidewalk activity, reduce visibility for storefronts, and make outdoor dining feel risky rather than inviting.—
Tim Giuliani,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Frederick battled intermittent despair and sought solace in Swedenborgianism and other, stranger beliefs.—
Kathryn Schulz,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
That’s not always possible, but don’t despair.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But now concerns have grown and even some of the airline’s most loyal customers are frustrated after the carrier rolled out a new boarding process to pair with the policy change.—
Dallas Morning News,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The two upperclassmen used contrasting styles to frustrate TCU defensively.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The two become inseparable, to the dismay of Cathy’s paid companion Nelly (Vi Nguyen), and only become closer after Heathcliff takes a beating on Cathy’s behalf from her alcoholic father (Martin Clunes) for missing his birthday celebration.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Social media users expressed their dismay at the site crash and how quickly the kits sold out.—
Katey Psencik,
Austin American Statesman,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dishearten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dishearten. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
