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Synonyms

dejected

American  
[dih-jek-tid] / dɪˈdʒɛk tɪd /

adjective

  1. depressed in spirits; disheartened; low-spirited.

    The dejected expression on the face of the loser spoiled my victory.
    Synonyms:
    miserable, unhappy, downhearted, dispirited, despondent, discouraged
    Antonyms:
    happy
dejected British  
/ dɪˈdʒɛktɪd /

adjective

  1. miserable; despondent; downhearted

"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

  • dejectedly adverb
  • dejectedness noun
  • quasi-dejected adjective
  • quasi-dejectedly adverb
  • undejected adjective
  • undejectedly adverb
  • undejectedness noun

Etymology

Origin of dejected

First recorded in 1575–85; deject + -ed 2

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.

Embassy in Bujumbura, Burundi, she watched anxiously as applicant after applicant left dejected.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

Tellingly, Arsenal's party took place with the rest of the stadium deserted after dejected Tottenham fans headed for the exits well before the final whistle.

From Barron's • Feb. 22, 2026

SEOUL—After the last whistle blew at the youth women’s World Cup final in November, the Netherlands coach sounded dejected.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026

"At a time when we should be connected, we find ourselves alone, down, dejected," Lindsay Foreman wrote in a poem entitled A Sad Voice From Evin Prison - A Christmas Poem.

From BBC • Dec. 22, 2025

Friendless, dejected, and hungry, he threw himself down in the manure and sobbed.

From "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White

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.