disheartening

American  

[dis-hahr-tn-ing] / dɪsˈhɑr tn ɪŋ /

adjective

1. depressing a person’s hope, courage, or spirits; discouraging.

   It's been disheartening to see some of her old habits and fears returning, even though they aren't as bad as when she was much younger.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• dishearteningly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of disheartening

dishearten ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

Explanation

Something disheartening causes you to lose your confidence or enthusiasm. It's disheartening when your basketball team loses four games in a row. Breaking disheartening down to its parts, you can see the dis- prefix, meaning "not" or "take away," and the figurative heart, "good feelings or courage." While a heartening message from your pen pal cheers you up, anything disheartening does the opposite. A disheartening grade on your big English paper brings you down, and disheartening news can make your whole family feel a little depressed. If it's disheartening, it's a bummer.

Example Sentences

Shelly Corbin, a Native American activist who participated in the “Reimagining” meetings, found the federal suit disheartening.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

"So it's a bit disheartening and annoying really."

From BBC • May 21, 2026

"You see it getting spoiled by someone mindlessly, especially when we've got fields full of wildlife," he said, describing it as "disheartening".

From BBC • May 21, 2026

Sabbir’s transmission drew a disheartening response: “The area,” an Iranian official explained to him, was “very dangerous and a red zone.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

She was eager to do it, but she found the process disheartening.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

Related Words

• alarming
• astounding
• awful
• dire
• dreadful
• frightening
• frightful
• ghastly
• harrowing
• hideous
• horrible
• horrific
• shocking
• terrible
• terrifying