disappoint
Americanverb (used with object)
-
disappoints,
present (3rd person singular)
-
disappointed,
past participle, past
-
disappointing
present participle
-
to fail to fulfill the expectations or wishes of.
His gross ingratitude disappointed us.
- Synonyms:
- disenchant, dishearten, disillusion, sadden
-
to defeat the fulfillment of (hopes, plans, etc.); thwart; frustrate.
to be disappointed in love.
verb (used without object)
-
disappoints,
present (3rd person singular)
-
disappointed,
past participle, past
-
disappointing
present participle
verb
-
to fail to meet the expectations, hopes, desires, or standards of; let down
-
to prevent the fulfilment of (a plan, intention, etc); frustrate; thwart
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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disappointsimple
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disappointssimple
-
have disappointedperfect
-
has disappointedperfect
-
am disappointingprogressive
-
are disappointingprogressive
-
is disappointingprogressive
-
have been disappointingperfect progressive
-
has been disappointingperfect progressive
Past
-
disappointedsimple
-
had disappointedperfect
-
was disappointingprogressive
-
were disappointingprogressive
-
had been disappointingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of disappoint
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English word from Middle French word desappointer. See dis- 1, appoint
Explanation
When you fail to meet people's expectations, you disappoint them. You can also disappoint yourself or find that things let you down, like a rainy trip to the beach that disappoints you. The word disappoint comes from the Middle French word desappointer, which meant "dispossess of appointed office," in the 14th century. Today, disappoint can apply to anyone or anything that does not achieve the expected results — and ways to express that we are disappointed go beyond firing people or kicking them out of office. For example, if you buy a product that disappoints, you won't buy it again.
Vocabulary lists containing disappoint
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"The Fun They Had"
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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.
See Examples For:
"The build-up to this... has been phenomenal, and on the day it did not disappoint," he added later.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
“If inflation pressures margins, consumers trade down or earnings disappoint, those high-multiple names could be vulnerable,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
The year’s most discussable film is finally in theaters and its many bizarre surprises don’t disappoint.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
Eala saw her bid for gold end in the last four to disappoint her throng of supporters.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
Now not only would he lose Lydia at the end of this year, but he would also disappoint her.
From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner
If Hy disappoints, the hardware could be rented out to third parties to quickly recoup the steep investment, he says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
He warns that if the AI boom disappoints after activity is pulled forward, it could result in an overheated economy and stagflation.
From Barron's ● May 9, 2026
Hissey sees little risk it disappoints on FY 2026 guidance now.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
"I wouldn't want to be a baker who disappoints her, but I can see her being very encouraging at the same time."
From BBC ● Feb. 14, 2026
But when it arrives, it too disappoints her.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
Investors were disappointed by a miss of market expectations for operating profit by the semiconductor division, according to Bloomberg News.
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026
NPO acknowledged that some Dutch fans may be disappointed, but that the contest would still be aired in the Netherlands.
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026
That sentiment was echoed by BMO Capital Markets analyst Evan David Seigerman, who told investors that the “relative reduction in recurrence/death is clinically meaningful,” even though it appears to have disappointed investors.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
The pundit was disappointed: “That’s a lousy story.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
I wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or disappointed.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Swansea council said it was disappointing and the warning system was functioning normally.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
Haleon’s third quarter was disappointing, mainly due to the weaker cold and flu results, said Barclays analyst Warren Ackerman.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
Moderna’s stock fell sharply over the past few days after data emerged about its cancer vaccine that investors found disappointing, though researchers called it breakthrough.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
A disappointing reception for Anthropic could dent investor enthusiasm for AI, a sector that has become a key driver of US economic growth.
From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026
The last fact wasn’t actually disappointing, but a point of zoological interest.
From "Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat" by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth
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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.
