disappointment
noun
the act or fact of disappointing.
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Disappointment
DisappointmentnounCape Disappointment, a cape in southwestern Washington State, projecting into the Pacific Ocean on the north of the mouth of the Columbia River.
disappointment
1 American
[dis-uh-point-muhnt]
/ ˌdɪs əˈpɔɪnt mənt /
noun
disappointments
plural
-
the act or fact of disappointing.
All of his efforts only led to the disappointment of his supporters.
- Synonyms:
- frustration, defeat, failure
-
the state or feeling of being disappointed.
Her disappointment was very great when she didn't get the job.
-
a person or thing that disappoints.
The play was a disappointment.
Disappointment
2
American
[dis-uh-point-muhnt]
/ ˌdɪs əˈpɔɪnt mənt /
noun
disappointment
British
/ ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntmənt /
noun
-
the act of disappointing or the state of being disappointed
-
a person, thing, or state of affairs that disappoints
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of disappointment
First recorded in 1605–15; disappoint + -ment
Explanation
A disappointment is what happens when things don't go your way. That sad, frustrated feeling of loss that follows? It's also called disappointment. The noun disappointment comes from the Middle French word disappointer, meaning “undo the appointment,” or “remove from office.” It is true that a friend canceling your plans or losing your job is a disappointment, but today disappointment can describe anything that crushes your hopes, ruins your day, or otherwise lets you down.
Vocabulary lists containing disappointment
Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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-ment
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"Pass It On," "If There Be Pain," and "Sonnet 30"
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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.
See Examples For:
Scotland missing out on third-placed qualification was a disappointment and having to wait a couple of days before it was confirmed must have been painful.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
“He shared that he was shaken by what happened and needed time to process it. You could see the disappointment on his face,” she said.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
As the full-time whistle blew in Atlanta on Wednesday, signalling England's exit from the World Cup, a wave of disappointment spread across the country.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
Most importantly, is the disappointment and loss of respect from the fans.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
At a rally in Texas, Nixon spoke of his own disappointment.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
Disappointment from Broadcom’s earnings report Wednesday evening triggered the first wave of AI stock selling on Thursday, but the slide spilled over into early morning trading today.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
Disappointment in that they had finished the season as one of the best teams in the league.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2025
Disappointment followed at the 2020 Tokyo Games which she later described as the "biggest low" of her career.
From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2025
Disappointment is a familiar feeling when it comes to Find a Grave.
From Slate ● Oct. 24, 2024
Having to sit and watch everyone else is even worse than getting Ms. Rochambeau’s Raised Eyebrow of Disappointment.
From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden
For every “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” “Fire Island” or “Clueless,” disappointments also crowd the TV and movie landscape.
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026
Lee, then, is left wondering if this is the true nature of mortality: a long pattern of disappointments, up to and including the moment you gasp your final breath.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
Both parts of Oracle’s software business were disappointments.
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
There are always disappointments in football, but this was my biggest one yet.
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
His life, from the moment his mother had abandoned him when he was three, had been a series of disappointments and hardships, but he managed to keep his head above water most of the time.
From "Forged by Fire" by Sharon M. Draper
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.
