dismay
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to break down the courage of completely, as by sudden danger or trouble; dishearten thoroughly; daunt.
The surprise attack dismayed the enemy.
- Synonyms:
- intimidate, scare, frighten, terrify, appall
- Antonyms:
- hearten
-
to surprise in such a manner as to disillusion.
She was dismayed to learn of their disloyalty.
-
to alarm; perturb.
The new law dismayed some of the more conservative politicians.
noun
-
sudden or complete loss of courage; utter disheartenment.
- Synonyms:
- fear, horror, panic, terror, consternation, disconcert
- Antonyms:
- confidence
-
sudden disillusionment.
-
agitation of mind; perturbation; alarm.
verb
-
to fill with apprehension or alarm
-
to fill with depression or discouragement
noun
Synonym Usage
See discourage.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have dismayedperfect
-
has dismayedperfect 3rd person singular
-
is dismayingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
have been dismayingperfect progressive
-
am dismayingprogressive 1st person singular
-
are dismayingprogressive
-
has been dismayingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
dismayingparticiple
-
dismayssingular 3rd person
Past
-
had dismayedperfect
-
was dismayingprogressive singular
-
had been dismayingperfect progressive
-
were dismayingprogressive plural
-
dismayedsimple
-
dismayedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of dismay
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English desmay (noun), de(s)mayen, dismayen (verb), from presumed Anglo-French alteration, by prefix change, of Old French esmaier “to trouble, frighten,” from unattested Vulgar Latin exmagāre “to disable, deprive of strength,” equivalent to ex- ex- 1 + unattested magāre, from unattested Germanic magan “to be able to”; see may 1
Explanation
If you discover late Sunday night that the dog really did eat your homework, you might cry out in dismay. Dismay describes an emotional state of alarm, fear, or serious disappointment. The first part of dismay comes from the Latin prefix dis-, which comes in handy when you want to put a negative spin on words (dishonest, discount, disenchant, etc.). The last bit of dismay most likely comes from the Germanic word magan, meaning "to be able to." You can employ the word dismay to describe how you feel in a variety of negative situations that you doubt you are able to handle.
Vocabulary lists containing dismay
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 2
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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Christmas Carol Vocab: A Lyrical Lexicon
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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.
There has been dismay at other costs too.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
Chris Fields of Erlanger shared her dismay that the six-term congressman was not voting with his party.
From Slate • May 19, 2026
Similarly, those in the media or the foreign policy establishment who profess dismay that China’s rulers now view the U.S. as a global equal are also failing to observe the obvious.
From Salon • May 17, 2026
Navarro watched in dismay in 2015 when Trump came down the escalator of the midtown Manhattan skyscraper that bears his name to announce he was seeking the Republican presidential nomination.
From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2026
It was unclear who exactly had been cursed, the lizard or the French, but a permanent-seeming curse it turned out to be, to the dismay of both reptile and country.
From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness
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.
