Synonyms

dispirit

American

[dih-spir-it] / dɪˈspɪr ɪt /

verb (used with object)

to deprive of spirit, hope, enthusiasm, etc.; depress; discourage; dishearten.

dispirit British

/ dɪˈspɪrɪt /

verb

(tr) to lower the spirit or enthusiasm of; make downhearted or depressed; discourage

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of dispirit

First recorded in 1635–45; di- ² + spirit

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.

"When we keep getting a 'no' it's kind of dispiriting, we have got to keep pushing."

From BBC

It will be a deeply dispiriting result for Italy, for whom a single try was a poor return for the level of pressure they put on Ireland.

From BBC

One report offered little hope for unemployed workers mired in long, dispiriting job searches.

From The Wall Street Journal

“We are up to the summer of 1939, eighty-four years ago if my math is correct,” I added, throwing in an arithmetical flourish that thoroughly dispirited her.

From Literature

Now, nearly four years on, this dispiriting loss - after a timid and uninspiring performance from his side in the last-four tie - will cut just as deep for Salah.

From BBC

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