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• disappointment
  disappointment

  noun

  the act or fact of disappointing.
• Disappointment
  Disappointment

  noun

  Cape 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

1. the act or fact of disappointing.

   All of his efforts only led to the disappointment of his supporters.

   Synonyms:

   frustration, defeat, failure

2. the state or feeling of being disappointed.

   Her disappointment was very great when she didn't get the job.

3. a person or thing that disappoints.

   The play was a disappointment.

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Disappointment ² American  

[dis-uh-point-muhnt] / ˌdɪs əˈpɔɪnt mənt /

noun

1. Cape Disappointment, a cape in southwestern Washington State, projecting into the Pacific Ocean on the north of the mouth of the Columbia River.

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disappointment British  

/ ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntmənt /

noun

1. the act of disappointing or the state of being disappointed

2. a person, thing, or state of affairs that disappoints

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• predisappointment
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• disappointments
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of disappointment

First recorded in 1605–15; disappoint + -ment

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

disappointment Disappointment disappointments

Hillman expressed disappointment at the lack of multiple-sport athletes today in high school sports.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2026

“We should be creating environments where they can express sadness, fear, disappointment and vulnerability without being shamed or told to ‘toughen up,’” she said.

From Salon ● Oct. 18, 2026

Jim Harbaugh's Chargers are the big disappointment of the season.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

New York's notorious Rikers Island jail, long criticized for unsanitary and violent conditions, will miss a deadline for the vast complex to close down, prompting disappointment from activists.

From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026

Kat looked at Rio and then Paris, shaking her head with disappointment.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

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 is a familiar feeling when it comes to Find a Grave.

From Slate ● Oct. 24, 2024

Cape Disappointment State Park — the name alone will intrigue kids — features year-round camping for the adventurous family or cabins, yurts and historic lightkeeper’s residences for the less so.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 27, 2023

"It hadn't ever crossed my mind that I wouldn't be playing. Disappointment and rejection were emotions I hadn't really had to encounter before."

From BBC ● May 4, 2023

Disappointment rose inside Tree-ear until he felt he would have to let it escape in a wolf-like howl.

From "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park

He called it the saddest profession, given the disappointments and feelings of being trapped.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

You can see a decade of disappointments in a shot of Lozita going slack-faced as her mother reminisces about how nice she and Big Ant looked at their wedding.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

"I look back at my career and think how remarkable it has been. The highs, the lows, the failures, the disappointments and the successes."

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

But his subsequent political career was one of tranquil irrelevance punctuated by recurring disappointments.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

These were two disappointments to which he had resigned himself: he would never be a skeet shooter, and he would never make money.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

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Related Words

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

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