: disquietude or distress of mind caused by humiliation, disappointment, or failure
chagrined
shə-ˈgrind 
British usually ˈsha-grind
; chagrining
shə-ˈgri-niŋ
British usually ˈsha-gri-niŋ
: to vex or unsettle by disappointing or humiliating
he was chagrined to learn that his help was not needed
Did you know?
Chagrin comes from French, in which it means "grief," "sorrow," or essentially the same thing as English's chagrin, and in which it is also an adjective meaning "sad."
Examples of chagrin in a Sentence
Noun
As many a woman has learned to her chagrin, pathological liars are brilliant at deception.
—
Katha Pollitt, Nation, 16 June 2003
In World War I, to his chagrin, Eisenhower again found himself on the sidelines, performing training duties stateside while Pershing, MacArthur, and Patton earned their battle ribbons.
—U.S. News & World Report, 16 Mar. 1998
In 1628, to the chagrin of Governor William Bradford, the Pilgrims erected an 80-foot Maypole, danced around it, drank beer, and sang.
—E. C. Krupp, Sky & Telescope, May 1994
Imagine my chagrin when a whiz kid from Dayton made all A's in the first quarter while I made two B's and a C+.
—John Hope Franklin, Race and History, 1989
The fact that he'd been unable to attend the funeral was a source of chagrin for Ted.
She had gained five pounds over the winter, much to her chagrin.
He decided to get a tattoo, to the chagrin of his parents.
Katha Pollitt, Nation, 16 June 2003
In World War I, to his chagrin, Eisenhower again found himself on the sidelines, performing training duties stateside while Pershing, MacArthur, and Patton earned their battle ribbons.
—U.S. News & World Report, 16 Mar. 1998
In 1628, to the chagrin of Governor William Bradford, the Pilgrims erected an 80-foot Maypole, danced around it, drank beer, and sang.
—E. C. Krupp, Sky & Telescope, May 1994
Imagine my chagrin when a whiz kid from Dayton made all A's in the first quarter while I made two B's and a C+.
—John Hope Franklin, Race and History, 1989
The fact that he'd been unable to attend the funeral was a source of chagrin for Ted.
She had gained five pounds over the winter, much to her chagrin.
He decided to get a tattoo, to the chagrin of his parents.
Recent Examples on the Web
Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 27 Nov. 2024
If such a figure had actually existed, the Russian Revolution may have gone very differently, to the chagrin of Romanov and Bolshevik alike.
—Sean T. Collins, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2024
Lance Eliot, Forbes, 16 Sep. 2024
Jenn introduces the driving instructor, Jesse (not Palmer), who is chagrined to learn that only one of the men — Aaron Erb — knows how to drive stick.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 23 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for chagrin 
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Noun
Both blocs were sidelined after the election, however, with French President Emmanuel Macron putting right-leaning conservative Michel Barnier in charge of a minority government, much to the chagrin of the left.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 27 Nov. 2024
If such a figure had actually existed, the Russian Revolution may have gone very differently, to the chagrin of Romanov and Bolshevik alike.
—Sean T. Collins, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2024
Verb
You might be chagrined to find that the details given are not especially revealing and you will be left to your intuition and hunches about what’s going on under the hood.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 16 Sep. 2024
Jenn introduces the driving instructor, Jesse (not Palmer), who is chagrined to learn that only one of the men — Aaron Erb — knows how to drive stick.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 23 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for chagrin
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Dictionary Entries Near chagrin
Cite this Entry
“Chagrin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chagrin. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.
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