chagrin
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
-
to vex by disappointment or humiliation.
The rejection of his proposal chagrined him deeply.
-
Obsolete. shagreen.
noun
verb
Related Words
See shame.
Other Word Forms
- chagrined adjective
- unchagrined adjective
Etymology
Origin of chagrin
First recorded in 1650–60; from French; origin unknown
Explanation
Chagrin is a noun that represents an emotion or feeling and it's an uncomfortable one. If you feel chagrin, it means that you are embarrassed or distressed as a result of a failure. The word chagrin, a noun, comes from the French word of the same spelling and means "melancholy, anxiety, vexation." An odd fact about the word in English is that it had been thought to be related to another, similar-sounding word, shagreen, "rough, untanned leather." When one mistakes one word as a relative of another, it's called "false etymology."
Vocabulary lists containing chagrin
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"The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant
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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.
His notes “took over our dining room at home,” much to his wife’s chagrin, Banatao said in the oral history.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026
He drives most of the way before arriving at the treacherous Darién Gap, where he’s sidelined after falling into a thorny tree — but “they” save him, much to his chagrin.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 24, 2025
Much to Beijing's chagrin, those running many such scam centres are often Chinese themselves.
From BBC • Nov. 8, 2025
And as many homeowners have found to their chagrin, plumbing works silently in the background—until it doesn’t, with messy and even catastrophic aftereffects.
From Barron's • Oct. 24, 2025
He bows and then shows me each frock one by one, much to Elisabeth's chagrin.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
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.
