as in to discourage
to lessen the courage or confidence of
we were disheartened by the news that our grandmother was seriously ill
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Recent Examples of dishearten
Listening to naysayers in Congress twist themselves into pretzels condemning the ayatollah and his brutal repressive regime, but offering no solutions whatsoever, has been disheartening.
—
Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 8 Mar. 2026
An odd and disheartening weekend for independent film is now in the rear view.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Feb. 2026
The program’s recent struggles disheartened him.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2026
After a lot of research, a little disheartened.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dishearten
Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 8 Mar. 2026
An odd and disheartening weekend for independent film is now in the rear view.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Feb. 2026
The program’s recent struggles disheartened him.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2026
After a lot of research, a little disheartened.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dishearten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dishearten
Verb
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Mention cutting toxic people out of your life (but don’t reveal that the people in question are your friends who, at lunch, discouraged you from posting that).—
Emily Menez,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2026
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Within days, China’s surprise intervention in the deal quickly shattered that hope, as Beijing stepped up efforts to discourage Chinese AI founders from moving their businesses offshore.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Chris Kuhns, who worked as an investigator in the BOI for 20 years and wrote the shelved report into Ramirez’s death, was frustrated by the unit’s inability to accomplish what it was required to do by law.—
Joe Rubin,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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While experts say the funds are beginning to make a difference, the sluggish pace of spending in some communities, from the wine country of Grand Traverse County to mid-Michigan's Eaton County, has frustrated some state leaders.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dishearten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dishearten. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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