disappointment
noun
the act or fact of disappointing.
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disappointment
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Disappointment
DisappointmentnounCape Disappointment, a cape in southwestern Washington State, projecting into the Pacific Ocean on the north of the mouth of the Columbia River.
disappointment
1 American
[dis-uh-point-muhnt]
/ ˌdɪs əˈpɔɪnt mənt /
noun
-
disappointments
plural
-
the act or fact of disappointing.
All of his efforts only led to the disappointment of his supporters.
- Synonyms:
- frustration, defeat, failure
-
the state or feeling of being disappointed.
Her disappointment was very great when she didn't get the job.
-
a person or thing that disappoints.
The play was a disappointment.
Disappointment
2
American
[dis-uh-point-muhnt]
/ ˌdɪs əˈpɔɪnt mənt /
noun
disappointment
British
/ ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntmənt /
noun
-
the act of disappointing or the state of being disappointed
-
a person, thing, or state of affairs that disappoints
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of disappointment
First recorded in 1605–15; disappoint + -ment
Explanation
A disappointment is what happens when things don't go your way. That sad, frustrated feeling of loss that follows? It's also called disappointment. The noun disappointment comes from the Middle French word disappointer, meaning “undo the appointment,” or “remove from office.” It is true that a friend canceling your plans or losing your job is a disappointment, but today disappointment can describe anything that crushes your hopes, ruins your day, or otherwise lets you down.
Vocabulary lists containing disappointment
Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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-ment
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"Pass It On," "If There Be Pain," and "Sonnet 30"
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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:
Despite his disappointment, Abdul-Mateen said in his Vanity Fair interview that he understands “business and life move on.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Ms. Eubanks calls her failure to remain mentally healthy while giving J. the help he needed “the single greatest disappointment of my life.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
A spokesperson for TUI, said: "We understand the disappointment and frustration caused to affected customers."
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
The risk right now is that the bar has been set so high that disappointment becomes possible even when results look strong.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
Danny was so used to being a disappointment and letting people down that he wasn’t ready for how understanding this girl was.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
"Disappointment in returns could trigger a sudden pullback in financing and turn the capex boom into a protracted investment bust, with potential knock-on effects on financial conditions," it said in its annual report.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
Disappointment is a familiar feeling when it comes to Find a Grave.
From Slate ● Oct. 24, 2024
Disappointment for the Brighton forward although the penalty decision did look a bit harsh, with Dara O'Shea striking the ball against Arthur Vermeeren's arm from close range.
From BBC ● Mar. 22, 2024
Cape Disappointment State Park — the name alone will intrigue kids — features year-round camping for the adventurous family or cabins, yurts and historic lightkeeper’s residences for the less so.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 27, 2023
I don’t want to see what I’m afraid will be there: Disappointment.
From "King and the Dragonflies" by Kacen Callender
“I love my mountain of disappointments, I do, but I’m human and my mountain is starting to sting more than it used to,” Krumholtz said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
Ten years later, Mourinho said his failure to sign Gerrard was one of his greatest transfer disappointments.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
For every “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” “Fire Island” or “Clueless,” disappointments also crowd the TV and movie landscape.
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026
One of my own disappointments in this tournament is that Italy didn’t qualify either.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
A constant companion, he had seen all of Washington’s wartime defeats, disasters, and disappointments.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
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.
