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crestfallen

American  
[krest-faw-luhn] / ˈkrɛstˌfɔ lən /

adjective

  1. dejected; dispirited; discouraged.

  2. having a drooping crest or head.

crestfallen British  
/ ˈkrɛstˌfɔːlən /

adjective

  1. dejected, depressed, or disheartened

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • crestfallenly adverb
  • crestfallenness noun

Etymology

Origin of crestfallen

First recorded in 1580–90; crest + fallen

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.

But despite a vastly improved performance on her final attempt, a crestfallen Muir was left wanting more on the biggest stage.

From BBC

Howe was crestfallen afterwards and said he was "not doing my job well enough at the moment" after his side slipped to 12th place in the Premier League table.

From BBC

A team man, the crestfallen Pope would have only been thinking about the door he had just unlocked and pushed open for Australia - a door the hosts would spend the day strolling straight through.

From BBC

The boys looked crestfallen, and Penelope rushed to explain.

From Literature

The children, whose tendency to get carried away was exceeded only by their eagerness to please, looked crestfallen.

From Literature

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.