dishearten

[dis-hahr-tn]

verb (used with object)

1. to depress the hope, courage, or spirits of; discourage.

   Synonyms: dismay, dispirit, deject, daunt

dishearten

/ dɪsˈhɑːtən /

verb

1. (tr) to weaken or destroy the hope, courage, enthusiasm, etc, of

Other Word Forms

• disheartener noun
• disheartenment noun
• dishearteningly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of dishearten¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; dis- ¹ + hearten

Example Sentences

The news was good, but also disheartening: Toyota Motor was planning to build its first stand-alone factory in the U.S., but her state wasn’t in consideration.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Ashley Maggs, Jersey Airport's operations director, said the situation was disheartening but that it was working to ensure people travelling were not displaced.

Read more on BBC

A pair of jeans could easily be a size 10 by one brand and a size 14 in another, leaving customers confused and disheartened.

Read more on BBC

"Instead of openness, cooperation and outward focus, the environment has too often felt toxic, exclusionary and deeply disheartening."

Read more on BBC

"It's so disheartening that politicians seem unable to learn the lessons from a decade of social media."

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• daunt 
• deject 
• demoralize 
• deter 
• discourage 
• dismay 
• dispirit 
• humble 
• humiliate