crestfallen
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of crestfallen
Explanation
If you are crestfallen, you are dark, depressed, and down in the dumps. You are in need of a pep talk, or at least a hug. Although experts can't agree on the origins of crestfallen, they do know it has something to do with fallen or defeated animals. Some say it is cocks, with their crested heads, that are responsible for the words' origins. Others think it has to do with horses bowing their heads (touching their heads to the crest of their chests) when bested in battle. No matter which animal gave us the word, today's humans are crestfallen when they are in low spirits.
Vocabulary lists containing crestfallen
Of Mice and Men
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Lord of the Flies
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In the Mood? 100 Words to Describe Emotions
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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.
The head coach shouting harsh critiques from the sideline, the assistant coach there to put his arm around you when you made it, crestfallen and ashamed, back to the bench.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
My sibling said she felt crestfallen and likened it to discovering there was no Santa Claus.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2026
He looked so crestfallen that I almost felt sorry for him.
From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2026
But despite a vastly improved performance on her final attempt, a crestfallen Muir was left wanting more on the biggest stage.
From BBC ● Feb. 9, 2026
When the mounted archers rode back crestfallen, saying that they had been unable to shoot the boy, Sir Meliagrance knew what was going to happen.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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.
