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Synonyms

disappoint

American

[dis-uh-point] / ˌdɪs əˈpɔɪnt /

verb (used with object)

to fail to fulfill the expectations or wishes of.

His gross ingratitude disappointed us.

Synonyms:

disenchant, dishearten, disillusion, sadden
to defeat the fulfillment of (hopes, plans, etc.); thwart; frustrate.

to be disappointed in love.

verb (used without object)

to bring or cause disappointment.

disappoint British

/ ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪnt /

verb

to fail to meet the expectations, hopes, desires, or standards of; let down
to prevent the fulfilment of (a plan, intention, etc); frustrate; thwart

"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

Derived Forms

disappointer

noun

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of disappoint

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English word from Middle French word desappointer. See dis- ¹, appoint

Explanation

When you fail to meet people's expectations, you disappoint them. You can also disappoint yourself or find that things let you down, like a rainy trip to the beach that disappoints you. The word disappoint comes from the Middle French word desappointer, which meant "dispossess of appointed office," in the 14th century. Today, disappoint can apply to anyone or anything that does not achieve the expected results — and ways to express that we are disappointed go beyond firing people or kicking them out of office. For example, if you buy a product that disappoints, you won't buy it again.

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Vocabulary lists containing disappoint

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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.

See Examples For:

disappoint disappoints disappointed disappointing

The fourth quarter has a reputation for being a strong period for stocks, and he doesn’t expect this year to disappoint.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026

Eala saw her bid for gold end in the last four to disappoint her throng of supporters.

From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026

Warsh is "either going to completely disappoint the markets, or he runs the risk that he's going to start to anger Donald Trump", said David Wessel, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026

They added they were heartbroken to disappoint fans and were “especially excited” for Rodrigo’s fest “because it’s not just about music, but the greater mission of joy and community.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

Diego was so excited, he was practically bouncing up and down, and I didn’t want to disappoint him.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson

Also, OpenAI disappoints some investors and shares of Unitree Robotics soar more than 600%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

If the release disappoints market expectations, that will weigh heavily on the company’s valuation, they said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026

AES stock falls as $15-a-share offer disappoints shareholders.

From Barron's ● Mar. 2, 2026

"I wouldn't want to be a baker who disappoints her, but I can see her being very encouraging at the same time."

From BBC ● Feb. 14, 2026

But when it arrives, it too disappoints her.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Shreeshan Venkatesh of the Climate Action Network said the group was "deeply disappointed" by the failure.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

“You just disappointed half of the audience or more,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Those who thought it would be easy were typically frustrated and disappointed.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

Stella maintained his usual calm, even demeanour, but words like "unacceptable", "disappointed" and "serious" made it abundantly clear how angry he was.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

“I suppose it is a long way to come from Witherslack,” she thought, disappointed.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

An Assembly member has described the changes to the education offering as "disappointing".

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

"One of the disappointing things is that we didn't get answers to anything that we had specifically requested - for example getting the papers from FFE," Hewitt said.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

A disappointing summer last year prompted the resignation of the company’s chief executive, Richard Zimmerman, who had served in the same role at Cedar Fair prior to the merger.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

In the wake of a disappointing season, Jake LaRavia has changed the way he approaches games this season.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

I’m scared enough of Mom, and of disappointing her more, that I manage to stay awake in most of my classes for the rest of the week.

From "Sparrow" by Sarah Moon

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023