downhearted
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of downhearted
Explanation
Are you feeling sad and discouraged? Then you're downhearted. You need a hug from a good friend. Bad news, a tough day, your favorite team losing the championship — all of these can leave you feeling a bit downhearted. You can also use words like crestfallen, dejected, or blue to describe this sad emotion. The adjective downhearted includes the word ending -hearted, meaning "at heart," or "in one's deepest feelings."
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.
For anyone who’s ever felt adrift or behind in life, this keenly observed and inventively structured Argentine tragicomedy mines dry humor from the absurdity of social norms and its protagonist’s downhearted demeanor.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2024
Following the draw with Belgium, downhearted captain Rachel Corsie attempted to channel all she had left to give after a gut-busting performance.
From BBC • Dec. 2, 2023
To set small, achievable goals and work towards them steadily, and not get too downhearted when you fall backwards.
From Salon • Sep. 9, 2023
But the complaints about high ticket prices left people there “dispirited, downhearted and yes, disillusioned,” publisher Christopher Phillips wrote late last week in a post announcing the shutdown.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 7, 2023
“Are we downhearted over getting licked by Rosemont in that hundred-grander?” he asked.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
