dishearten
verb
dis·heart·en
(ˌ)dis-ˈhär-tᵊn 
disheartened; disheartening; disheartens
: to cause to lose hope, enthusiasm, or courage : to cause to lose spirit or morale
were disheartened by the news
Examples of dishearten in a Sentence
The conflict between their families disheartened them.
we were disheartened by the news that our grandmother was seriously ill
Recent Examples on the Web
And the team reversed a disheartening trend in which its past four setbacks ended when the opponents connected on game-winning shots in the final seconds.
—
Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 24 Mar. 2025
Back in November, a disheartening loss to Calgary started the Rangers’ now-infamous 5-14-0 skid.
—Peter Baugh, The Athletic, 19 Mar. 2025
This disheartening reality augurs a future in which the prosperity of a few affluent enclaves depends in part on the rest of the globe becoming ever more nasty, brutish, and hot.
—Scott W. Stern, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2025
Researchers including Reich say recent viral headlines, such as a North Texas pastor publicly boasting on Instagram that his church school ranked lowest in Texas for measles vaccination rates, are disheartening and show the nation heading down a dangerous path.
—Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dishearten
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Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 24 Mar. 2025
Back in November, a disheartening loss to Calgary started the Rangers’ now-infamous 5-14-0 skid.
—Peter Baugh, The Athletic, 19 Mar. 2025
This disheartening reality augurs a future in which the prosperity of a few affluent enclaves depends in part on the rest of the globe becoming ever more nasty, brutish, and hot.
—Scott W. Stern, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2025
Researchers including Reich say recent viral headlines, such as a North Texas pastor publicly boasting on Instagram that his church school ranked lowest in Texas for measles vaccination rates, are disheartening and show the nation heading down a dangerous path.
—Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dishearten
Cite this Entry
“Dishearten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dishearten. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dishearten
verb
dis·heart·en
(ˈ)dis-ˈhärt-ᵊn
: to deprive of courage and hope : discourage
disheartening
adjective
-ˈhärt-niŋ
-ᵊn-iŋ
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