dishearten
Americanverb (used with object)
-
disheartens,
present (3rd person singular)
-
disheartened,
past participle, past
-
disheartening
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
disheartensimple
-
disheartenssimple
-
have disheartenedperfect
-
has disheartenedperfect
-
am dishearteningprogressive
-
are dishearteningprogressive
-
is dishearteningprogressive
-
have been dishearteningperfect progressive
-
has been dishearteningperfect progressive
Past
-
disheartenedsimple
-
had disheartenedperfect
-
was dishearteningprogressive
-
were dishearteningprogressive
-
had been dishearteningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of dishearten
Explanation
If someone tells you not to be disheartened, they want you to stay upbeat and positive. Something that brings you down or steals your sense of hope disheartens you. Uncracking the code of the verb dishearten couldn't be easier. Just take it apart, and it quickly reveals its meaning. Dis- is a prefix that means "not, un-, take away." Heart in its figurative sense means love, care, and good feelings. And the -en at the end shows the word is a verb with the sense of causing something to be. So dishearten means "to cause someone's 'heart' to be taken away." We were disheartened by the news of still more home foreclosures.
Vocabulary lists containing dishearten
Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 2
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!
Starfish
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Thing About Luck
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Many young voters say that would dishearten them.
From Barron's ● Feb. 3, 2026
I began to wonder what we were going to find in this wasteland, but I didn’t want to say anything to dishearten Duncan.
From Seattle Times ● May 24, 2024
In “On Fire,” Naomi Klein’s purpose is not to dishearten but to awaken us to the growing global movement called the Green New Deal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2023
Each day, 22 people die in want of organs, which should dishearten all Americans.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 31, 2023
“Do not be dishearten, young bahss. Today, we will be foun, to be true.”
From "The Cay" by Theodore Taylor
“It saddens me, it disgusts me and disheartens me,” Alvarez said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2023
"It disgusts me and disheartens me that people in our nation seem incapable of being decent people."
From Salon ● Nov. 23, 2022
It allows those who are responsible to remain unaccountable, and it disheartens those who seek to do the right thing.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 2, 2021
“These words have no place on News10NBC’s air, and the fact that we broadcast them disheartens and disgusts me; that it was not caught immediately is inexcusable,” he said in the statement.
From Slate ● Jan. 8, 2019
"Is it—" her hesitations were delightful to him—"is it the want of recognition that disheartens you?"
From The Divine Fire by May Sinclair
Parents said they were disheartened and upset about the city’s actions because of the effects on the children.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
She told MarketWatch that she feels disheartened, sad and frustrated by the way things have played out.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026
Fellow activist Louis Lee said Wong and his supporters were disheartened that he was handed another NSL charge while already serving time in prison.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
"I felt disheartened, I felt humiliated in so many ways," he said.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
Nevertheless, working for half pay must have disheartened her.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
“It’s a little disheartening to realize that somebody has done something that can’t be repaired — like, this damage cannot be repaired,” Gough said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
Prof Mike Steer, executive director of the South Australian Research and Development Institute which helped carry out the underwater surveys, said the unprecedented low estimate this year was "disheartening".
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
To the members of Good Good, it’s especially disheartening because they say they have sought to promote the inclusivity of women.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
What was really disheartening was the fact that day in and day out, they weren’t on the battlefield.
From Slate ● Aug. 22, 2026
Mr. Curtain was turning the pages with disheartening speed, but Reynie dared not interrupt again.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
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.
