disheartened

[dis-hahr-tnd]

adjective

1. having one’s hope, courage, or spirits depressed; discouraged or demoralized.

   I had been looking for work for months and was starting to get that disheartened feeling.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of dishearten.

Other Word Forms

• undisheartened adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of disheartened¹

First recorded in 1610–20; dishearten ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective; dishearten ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb

Example Sentences

The relentless competition from school to the workplace, coupled with the pressure to meet family and societal expectations, is leaving many young South Koreans feeling disheartened.

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"In recent months I have been really disheartened by the approach of the DUP," he said.

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“I think everyone would be super disheartened to learn that maybe it would be human-caused,” Harper said, confirming that there is a remote trail that provides hikers access to the tree.

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He was also “disheartened” by Black residents that opposed district elections in Carson that would have probably brought more Latinos onto the council.

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They feel discouraged, disheartened, disappointed, and so it cannot be understated that every door I knock, people leave feeling excited.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• anxious 
• apprehensive 
• discouraged 
• distressed 
• fearful 
• frightened 
• horrified 
• intimidated 
• nervous 
• perplexed 
• perturbed 
• scared 
• shocked www.thesaurus.com
• spooked www.thesaurus.com
• startled 
• timid