Synonyms

disheartening

American

[dis-hahr-tn-ing] / dɪsˈhɑr tn ɪŋ /

adjective

depressing a person’s hope, courage, or spirits; discouraging.

It's been disheartening to see some of her old habits and fears returning, even though they aren't as bad as when she was much younger.

Other Word Forms

dishearteningly adverb

Etymology

Origin of disheartening

dishearten ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

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.

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.

From 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.

From BBC

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

From BBC

“It was disheartening to not see that in the stadium this year, when there was an even bigger problem going on.”

From Los Angeles Times

But beyond all the hype lies a disheartening reality: The business behind the stock has continued to struggle.

From MarketWatch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023