: 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
Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
The decision was much to the chagrin of Lasorda, the Dodgers’ Hall of Fame manager who also happens to be Minasian’s godfather.
—Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 25 Mar. 2025
Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2025
The joke loops around to wives making more than their husbands, much to Jost’s, aka Mr. Scarlett Johansson, chagrin.
—Rosa Escandon, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chagrin
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Noun
Tellingly, Maryland, known more as a basketball school, announced that same $14 million football number, much to the chagrin of men’s basketball coach Kevin Willard, who’s been using his NCAA tournament press conferences to outwardly leverage interest from Villanova against Maryland.
—Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
The decision was much to the chagrin of Lasorda, the Dodgers’ Hall of Fame manager who also happens to be Minasian’s godfather.
—Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 25 Mar. 2025
Verb
During their opening round win Friday night against Norfolk State, the Gators jumped to a 32-point advantage and coasted to a 95-69 win from there, much to chagrin of Golden, his staff and players.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2025
The joke loops around to wives making more than their husbands, much to Jost’s, aka Mr. Scarlett Johansson, chagrin.
—Rosa Escandon, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chagrin
Cite this Entry
“Chagrin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chagrin. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025.
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