DISPIRITING Synonyms: 114 Similar and Opposite Words

dispiriting 1 of 2

adjective

as in disheartening

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Dissimilar Words

dispiriting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of dispirit

as in discouraging

to lessen the courage or confidence of dispirited by the overwhelming amount of information needed to write the report

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 dispiriting

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 And so that’s the dispiriting, disquieting aspect of the story. — Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 9 Apr. 2026 That opened the door for Ramon Laureano to deliver the knockout blow in the form of an RBI single to left, ultimately handing the Red Sox a dispiriting 3-2 loss. — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2026 Uddin said there are challenges to operating a food pantry at a high volume, but none more dispiriting than having to say no. — Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026 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 Then there’s the somewhat dispiriting fact that stadium-level rock bands are dwindling for younger generations, so much so that these offers to push out older acts are almost done by necessity. — Devon Ivie, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025

Verb

The primary is also dispiriting for some longtime residents, who watched both Bush and Bell rise as figures in the Black Lives Matter movement. — ABC News, 26 July 2026 And yet for God’s sake, just look at the man—at his dispiriting attempts at humor, his weirdly off-putting outfits, his incessant posting of banalities and faux profundities and extreme-right disinformation on social media. — Mark O’Connell, The New York Review of Books, 4 July 2026 Tess, meanwhile, suggests a more vulnerable reality behind that brittle exterior—a faith that talent and perseverance can pay off, a desire for agency amid dispiriting circumstances. — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 15 June 2026 After a long international flight, the lines at passport control and immigration can be dispiriting. — Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2026 And, as the season wound to a dispiriting close, there was literal infighting in the dressing room between Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni. — Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 27 May 2026 That dispiriting news, coupled with consumer sentiment plunging to the lowest point ever recorded, should be enough to set off alarm bells and trigger talk of the economy flirting with recession. — Greg Petro, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026 After a honeymoon research period, Schlamminger at times found the work dispiriting. — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 7 May 2026 All three are mired in different, dispiriting versions of mid-life crises, and get involved in a kinky kinda sorta love triangle. — Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 24 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispiriting

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

Definition of disheartening

Verb

The story publicizing the divorce ran three weeks after Holscher sent the message discouraging interference in the primary.

— Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026
And furthermore, shouldn’t the federal government be promoting public service, such as teaching, rather than discouraging it?

— Matthew Scogin, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

Definition of discouraging

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

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

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

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

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

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Synonyms of dispiriting

adjective

verb

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