dismayed
Americanadjective
-
thoroughly disheartened, as by sudden danger or trouble.
When he was sick and in prison, and the non-cooperation movement ebbed, Gandhi was not dismayed or discouraged.
-
surprised and disillusioned or disappointed.
Many were dismayed at the way the ad trivialized the Tibetan people's struggle for freedom and survival.
-
alarmed or perturbed.
As a teacher in a K-8 school, I am extremely dismayed at the talk of more unstable funding for education.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dismayed
Explanation
When you're dismayed, you're aghast, or shocked by disappointment. Your dismayed teacher's face showed that she expected the test grades to be much higher. Dismayed describes feeling appalled or distressed. The word implies a sense of being let down, the way you'd feel if your favorite baseball team lost the World Series, or if your birthday present wasn't the ticket to France you'd hoped for, but was just a pink sweater. You can also feel dismayed when expecting more from someone, like being dismayed to see your environmental science teacher throwing recyclables in the trash.
Vocabulary lists containing dismayed
In the Mood? 100 Words to Describe Emotions
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!
ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 2
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Nothing But the Truth
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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.
Dismayed at the policy reversal, she left the ATF last spring, after 21 years, and joined Everytown, the gun-safety group founded by Michael Bloomberg.
From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026
Dismayed at the lack of action over his behaviour, she left to join the Liberal Democrats, before leaving the council in 2021.
From BBC • Dec. 8, 2025
Dismayed at being sidelined in the 2020 diplomacy, the Palestinians have taken a more active role in the Saudi talks.
From Reuters • Sep. 26, 2023
Dismayed White House aides tried to walk back his comments, saying LBJ had not intended to single out D.C. that way.
From Washington Post • Mar. 8, 2023
“I’m totally dumbfounded by your attitude. Dismayed too.”
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
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.
