disappoint
Americanverb (used with object)
-
disappoints,
present (3rd person singular)
-
disappointed,
past participle, past
-
disappointing
present participle
-
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)
-
disappoints,
present (3rd person singular)
-
disappointed,
past participle, past
-
disappointing
present participle
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
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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disappointsimple
-
disappointssimple
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have disappointedperfect
-
has disappointedperfect
-
am disappointingprogressive
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are disappointingprogressive
-
is disappointingprogressive
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have been disappointingperfect progressive
-
has been disappointingperfect progressive
Past
-
disappointedsimple
-
had disappointedperfect
-
was disappointingprogressive
-
were disappointingprogressive
-
had been disappointingperfect progressive
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.
Vocabulary lists containing disappoint
Commonly Misspelled Words, List 4
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"The Fun They Had"
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Shiloh
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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:
He continues to disappoint with “The Uprising,” a sort of grunge “Braveheart” that attempts to replace Mel Gibson’s Hollywood bravado with grit and realism but comes across as lifeless and inert.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
“He tells me … that he’s looking forward to coming home, and I hate to disappoint him and tell him that he might not come home. So I don’t say anything,” Lee Arguello said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 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
Roblox stock is handed two Sell ratings after second-quarter earnings disappoint and guidance shows a worrying trend.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
Hearing the mother’s wail, and seeing the trust Pechvarry had in him, Ged did not know how he could disappoint them.
From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin
In the second scenario, the pace of AI adoption disappoints.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
He warns that if the AI boom disappoints after activity is pulled forward, it could result in an overheated economy and stagflation.
From Barron's ● May 9, 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
A mixed bag of eye-catching imagery and formulaic writing, “Goat” disappoints because it follows every expected path toward a triumphant conclusion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 12, 2026
I don’t know why, but his reaction disappoints me.
From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
So investors thinking they are locking in mortgage bonds’ solid yields for a period of time can be disappointed one way or the other.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
"On the outside, people might think I'm disappointed - but I'm actually quite proud of how I approached that," Hodgkinson told BBC Sport.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
I could tell he was really disappointed in me.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
Adding to pressure on bonds was a $6 billion government buyback that disappointed traders who had expected a bigger number.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
A couple of boys watched as she walked away, looking disappointed.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
While disappointing, the study results from the U.K. drugmaker don’t come as a big surprise after Roche’s rival drug giredestrant also missed the mark in a similar trial recently, the analysts say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
Oil prices were at their highest levels in months, and disappointing wholesale-inflation data have sent benchmark 10-year yields closer to the key 5% level.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
So, it was disappointing to let them off the hook and get them out of that.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Big Pharma has been scrambling to restock its pipelines, so a disappointing readout can have a knock-on effect on other drugmakers.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
She didn't want to admit how disappointing she found this first glimpse of America.
From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare
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.
