disillusioned

adjective

dis·​il·​lu·​sion·​ed ˌdis-ə-ˈlü-zhənd 

: having lost faith or trust in something formerly regarded as good or valuable

becoming more and more disillusioned with politics

Overworked, tired, disillusioned, with a shaky marriage, the district attorney finally gets a case that he really wants to prosecute.

—The New York Times Book Review

The camps grew restive and disillusioned, but refused to give up.

—Nora Levin

The disillusioned children of troubled marriages suffer from their parents' transgressions long into adulthood.

—Marianne Gingher

Examples of disillusioned in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For disillusioned Democrats, too much of the post-election focus has been on tactics, and too much time has been spent second-guessing past decisions — Should former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. have dropped out sooner? —Shane Goldmacher, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2025

Firstly, a square between the sun and Neptune on the 18th could leave you feeling confused or disillusioned, especially regarding your long-term goals in a significant partnership. —Valerie Mesa, People.com, 9 Dec. 2024

The rollback of these initiatives has left many feeling disillusioned, viewing it as another example of corporate profit being prioritized over people. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025

Ralph Fiennes stars as Julian Slowik, a disillusioned celebrity chef who presides over a fictional molecular gastronomy restaurant called Hawthorne, located on an exclusive private island. —Ars Technica, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined above