: 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
Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 27 Jan. 2025
To the chagrin of the whole room, the baby is a girl, the latest in a seemingly unbroken streak of female births on the Aegean island of Skiathos.
—Ryan Swen, Variety, 18 Jan. 2025
Jason Newman, Rolling Stone, 25 Jan. 2025
The government, appropriately chagrined, errs no more.
—James S. Burling, National Review, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for chagrin 
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Noun
Before the 2024 start, the Giants let Barkley walk to free agency, much to the chagrin of Giants fans.
—Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 27 Jan. 2025
To the chagrin of the whole room, the baby is a girl, the latest in a seemingly unbroken streak of female births on the Aegean island of Skiathos.
—Ryan Swen, Variety, 18 Jan. 2025
Verb
To the delight of the band and chagrin of producers, hundreds of punks invaded the show, stage-diving and slam-dancing their way to TV notoriety and leading to the urban legend that Michaels banned the group from the show.
—Jason Newman, Rolling Stone, 25 Jan. 2025
The government, appropriately chagrined, errs no more.
—James S. Burling, National Review, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for chagrin
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Cite this Entry
“Chagrin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chagrin. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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