as in frustrating
to lessen the courage or confidence of
we were disheartened by the news that our grandmother was seriously ill
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in discouraging
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of disheartening
Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2025
Seeing that textbook go to waste felt very disheartening.
—Sami Khan, Mercury News, 9 Sep. 2025
Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 3 Oct. 2025
Though disheartening, its abrupt cancellation wasn’t uncommon, especially for television shows that featured Black talent.
—Essence, 18 Sep. 2025
Fear of failure Failure can be disheartening, embarrassing and often downright devastating — especially in entrepreneurship, when your reputation and finances could be on the line.
—Ashton Jackson, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025
Everyone is responsible for this disappointing, disheartening 0-2 start the Dolphins are on, and that includes the media that’s covering the team.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2025
Expert breaks down 'disheartening' normalization of political violence.
—FOXNews.com, 12 Sep. 2025
The Dilemma for Women Leaders For women in leadership, this moment can feel particularly disheartening.
—C200, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Headwinds can be disheartening, but lawmakers don’t easily give up.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 4 Sep. 2025
But for a teenager itching to see more of Britain—and eventually the world—that lack of curiosity was disheartening.
—Rohan Banerjee, Time, 23 Aug. 2025
Verb
At the end of the day, the result was a bit disheartening.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2025
Seeing that textbook go to waste felt very disheartening.
—Sami Khan, Mercury News, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
To see a government shut down on the heels of that progress is disheartening, Explore Asheville CEO Vic Isley said.
—Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 3 Oct. 2025
Though disheartening, its abrupt cancellation wasn’t uncommon, especially for television shows that featured Black talent.
—Essence, 18 Sep. 2025
Fear of failure Failure can be disheartening, embarrassing and often downright devastating — especially in entrepreneurship, when your reputation and finances could be on the line.
—Ashton Jackson, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025
Everyone is responsible for this disappointing, disheartening 0-2 start the Dolphins are on, and that includes the media that’s covering the team.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2025
Expert breaks down 'disheartening' normalization of political violence.
—FOXNews.com, 12 Sep. 2025
The Dilemma for Women Leaders For women in leadership, this moment can feel particularly disheartening.
—C200, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Headwinds can be disheartening, but lawmakers don’t easily give up.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 4 Sep. 2025
But for a teenager itching to see more of Britain—and eventually the world—that lack of curiosity was disheartening.
—Rohan Banerjee, Time, 23 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disheartening
Verb
-
The opposing view is that discouraging tourists could hurt local economies that rely on them.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Trump is attacking immigration at both ends of spectrum, deporting low-wage laborers and discouraging skilled foreigners from bringing their talents to the United States.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The findings are deeply disconcerting.—
Stephanie Silverman,
Fortune,
28 Oct. 2025
-
And things grow even more disconcerting when Miss Giddens begins seeing things and hearing voices.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
On top of this dismaying thought comes the realization that the AI is available 24x7 and at a low cost or perhaps even free.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
-
But the drum sound wasn’t nearly as dismaying as the studio’s piano, which kept slipping out of tune.—
Peter Ames Carlin,
Rolling Stone,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The work—in a way, a series of encounters with random elements of one-click consumerism, including coloring books and marketing guides for dentists—is tedious, repetitive, and demoralizing.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
22 Oct. 2025
-
The loss was more demoralizing than being held to just 11 rushing yards.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The rookie’s miscue sent the Giants to one of the most dispiriting losses of the tenure of Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen.—
Dan Duggan,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Some folks harbor a dispiriting conviction that governments are unable to handle the simplest task.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Keeping up with the latest fashion trends can be a daunting and pricey process.—
Clara McMahon,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The rest are a combined 1-15 in the league, and a would-be reckoning at Penn State appears far less daunting now that the Nittany Lions fired their coach and lost their quarterback to injury.—
Dana O'Neil,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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In at least two of the incidents, Spors exhibited troubling behaviors indicative of an ongoing mental health crisis and was once taken to a hospital but discharged, records show.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
-
From an early age, DeSalvo exhibited troubling behavior.—
Jane LaCroix,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In 1917, the Titles Deprivation Act was passed to deal with troublesome royal cousins who sided with Germany in the First World War.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Palmer has been the difference-maker since joining from Manchester City in 2023 but is currently sidelined with a troublesome groin injury that is expected to keep him out for another five weeks.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disheartening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disheartening. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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