- past tense form of dishearten.
- past participle of dishearten.
disheartened
Americanadjective
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of disheartened
First recorded in 1610–20; dishearten ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. ) for the adjective; dishearten ( def. ) + -ed 1 ( def. ) for the verb
Explanation
When you're disheartened, you feel discouraged or let down. It's easy to become disheartened if the grades on your report card don't reflect the hard work and dedication you exerted. You might be disheartened to read about the high unemployment rate in the newspaper, or disheartened by the way your carefully constructed rocket ship cake flopped. When you feel your spirits sink or your courage fail, you're disheartened. The first recorded use of the word dishearten showed up in Shakespeare's play Henry V, where he invented it to mean the opposite of hearten, or "encourage."
Vocabulary lists containing disheartened
Tuck Everlasting
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The Cay
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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.
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
"When I found out I was heartbroken - I was distraught and completely disheartened," they said.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
Markle had also remarked early on that she was disheartened that so much coverage of her romance focused on her ethnicity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
"Those students who are currently studying in those areas are feeling very disheartened, they're felling ignored and they're feeling quite disrespected."
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Though Zeitoun and Frank were disheartened and unsure if anyone would stop, they gave it a try.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
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.
