disillusionment
Americannoun
-
disillusionments
plural
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of disillusionment
Explanation
Feeling disillusionment means you're bummed out because you no longer believe in something — usually because you find out it isn't as amazing as you thought. The definition of disillusionment doesn't sound so bad: being freed from false beliefs or illusions. Well, sorry to disillusion you, but it's not so great. Disillusionment is when the hard truth of reality makes you lose faith in your dreams and ideals. Like you might have thought your internship at the movie studio would be super glamorous, but you quickly suffered some disillusionment when you realized it involved 14-hour days and lots of coffee runs.
Vocabulary lists containing disillusionment
Siddhartha
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Marionettes, Inc." by Ray Bradbury
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Loomer’s conversion from Ukraine critic to sympathizer stemmed from her disillusionment with many of her fellow conservative influencers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Martin Luther King Jr described America as manifesting a "schizophrenic personality" long before the nationwide disillusionment with the Dream began.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
It’s a novel about disillusionment and the search for identity, but when you revisit it, you also see that it’s very much a love story.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
The first half of Communion, on Vance’s journey from evangelical Christianity to atheism to Catholicism, takes the reader through his disillusionment with the conservative evangelical churches of his youth.
From Slate ● Jun. 18, 2026
“You shouldn’t’ve spoken to me,” she said in a breaking voice that revealed the depths of her disillusionment.
From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright
My life was littered with awkwardnesses, estrangements, mutual disillusionments, abandoned projects.
From New York Times ● Aug. 17, 2016
The experience provides an allegory for Ned’s life: every pool “reflects” something about his personal and professional disillusionments and dissatisfactions.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2015
It, too, is concerned with the disillusionments wrought by war and adulthood.
From New York Times ● May 11, 2015
Fair warning: a generation after 58,000 Americans and 650,000 Vietnamese died fighting one another, Clinton's fresh start may prefigure some disillusionments.
From Time Magazine Archive
It too now seems convincing to many archaeologists, but caution is warranted in view of all the previous disillusionments.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
