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.
They celebrated wildly, while Cristiano Ronaldo, who had earlier scored his first ever World Cup knockout goal for his country before being substituted, looked crestfallen on the bench.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
My sibling said she felt crestfallen and likened it to discovering there was no Santa Claus.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2026
Fatemah, who was standing in line for bread at a neighborhood bakery, seemed crestfallen as she explained how this Nowruz, which means “new day” in Persian, was even worse than others.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2026
A crestfallen Howe admitted he was not doing his job "well enough" after his side were booed off following a bruising defeat against Brentford at St James' Park earlier this month.
From BBC ● Feb. 18, 2026
Daniel asked Zeke and Alicia, a little crestfallen, as everyone just kept walking by.
From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness
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.
