- past tense form of disappoint.
- past participle of disappoint.
disappointed
Americanadjective
-
depressed or discouraged by the failure of one's hopes or expectations.
a disappointed suitor.
-
Obsolete. inadequately appointed; ill-equipped.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of disappointed
First recorded in 1545–55; disappoint + -ed 2
Explanation
Disappointed means discouraged or sad because what you hoped for didn't happen. If you write a fan letter to your favorite actress hoping for a personal reply, you're likely to be disappointed. The original French root of disappointed is desappointer, which has one meaning that's basically "to fail to keep an appointment." So you might imagine the word disappointed like this: you made an appointment with a friend, but he blew it off. What could leave you more disappointed than that?
Vocabulary lists containing disappointed
In the Mood? 100 Words to Describe Emotions
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"My Favorite Chaperone," Vocabulary from the short story
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Hooked on a Feeling, List 1
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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.
“When I think of how he’s being treated by elected leaders now, I think he would be so mad and disappointed because he had so much passion for this community,” Jennifer Aust said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 9, 2026
“We’ve just spoken to AZN who are extremely and disappointed surprised by this news,” the analysts say.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 9, 2026
"There was such a long distance that had gone by and the foul was so minimal so I completely understand why the Egyptian coaching staff and squad are so disappointed."
From BBC • Jul. 7, 2026
"I was very disappointed to find that they came last, especially since Europe has really...been a leader in AI safety," Max Tegmark, an MIT professor and Future of Life president, told AFP.
From Barron's • Jul. 7, 2026
The others looked disappointed, but they all nodded too.
From "Mystery Map (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #3)" by Franklin W. Dixon
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.
