disillusionment

American  

[dis-i-loo-zhuhn-muhnt] / ˌdɪs ɪˈlu ʒən mənt /

noun

1. the loss or destruction of illusions or idealistic beliefs; the state of having lost such illusions or beliefs.

   Her bitterness and disillusionment were complete when he refused to investigate the corruption she reported because he was in business with some of the people involved.

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Etymology

Origin of disillusionment

disillusion ( def. ) + -ment ( def. )

Example Sentences

Throughout Outlive, Attia exploits real dissatisfaction and disillusionment with “mainstream medicine,” which he refers to as “Medicine 2.0,” in order to hype “Medicine 3.0,” which he practices at Early Medical.

From Slate • Feb. 26, 2026

What it says about America: Grunge brought Gen X disillusionment to the center of American culture.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 1, 2026

Redick said Saturday that Ayton was “frustrated” he wasn’t getting the ball more in recent games, and his disillusionment showed up on the court.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 5, 2026

Human geography student Andrew Alvedro, who chose to represent Spain, said there is an "air of anxiety" among young people, but also "a sense of disillusionment."

From BBC • Nov. 21, 2025

He spent many hours in the hot room watching how the hard sheets of metal, worked by the colonel with the inconceivable patience of disillusionment, were slowly being converted into golden scales.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Related Words

• adversity
• blow
• chagrin
• defeat
• discontent
• disenchantment
• dissatisfaction
• failure
• frustration
• letdown
• regret
• setback