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
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
Sooryavanshi, who had reached 50 in 16 balls, looked crestfallen in the middle but was congratulated by his opponents and given a standing ovation by the crowd.
From BBC ● May 27, 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
Cymbeline looked somehow crestfallen and relieved at the same time.
From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
