Disheartening - Meaning, Definition & English Examples
Disheartening means causing someone to lose hope, enthusiasm, or confidence. It describes situations or news that feel discouraging or demoralizing, often leaving a person feeling disappointed or defeated.
Definition:
Causing someone to lose determination or confidence; discouraging.
Synonyms:
discouraging, demoralizing, dispiriting, depressing
Part of Speech:
adjective
Antonyms:
encouraging, heartening
Common Collocations:
disheartening news, disheartening results, disheartening experience
Derivatives:
dishearten, disheartened, dishearteningly
Usage Tips:
Use "disheartening" to describe situations or events that undermine morale or hope.
Common Phrases:
a disheartening setback, find it disheartening, utterly disheartening
Etymology:
From "dis-" (opposite) + "hearten" (to encourage), first used in the 17th century.
Examples:
- 1. The news of the canceled trip was disheartening for the students.
- 2. His repeated failures were deeply disheartening but he kept trying.
- 3. The team found the loss disheartening after months of hard work.
- 4. It’s disheartening to see so much litter in the park.