dismayed; dismaying
1
: to cause to lose courage or resolution (as because of alarm or fear)
must not let ourselves be dismayed by the task before us
1
: sudden loss of courage or resolution from alarm or fear
watched with dismay as flames engulfed their home
2
a
: sudden disappointment
announced her retirement, much to the dismay of her fans
b
: perturbation sense 1
expressed dismay at his strange behavior
Synonyms
Examples of dismay in a Sentence
Verb
Her choice of career dismays her parents.
the imposing climb up the mountain dismayed us even before we got started
Noun
His comments were met with cries of dismay.
They watched in dismay as the house burned.
Much to the dismay of her fans, she announced her retirement immediately after the book's release.
To my dismay, I did not get chosen for the job.
We listened with dismay to the news of the accident.
Recent Examples on the Web
Elizabeth Blackwell, Longreads, 14 Nov. 2024
Don’t be dismayed by the limited size run (which only goes up to a large)—this jacket runs really big.
—Abigail Barronian, Outside Online, 11 Nov. 2024
Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 28 Nov. 2024
But there was dismay for the Commanders as Seibert hooked the kick and another miracle Washington comeback fell by the wayside.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dismay 
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Verb
But he was dismayed when the sculpture was subsequently mocked online for looking pornographic, followed by a second wave of critiques that the design proved Boston didn’t care about Black people.
—Elizabeth Blackwell, Longreads, 14 Nov. 2024
Don’t be dismayed by the limited size run (which only goes up to a large)—this jacket runs really big.
—Abigail Barronian, Outside Online, 11 Nov. 2024
Noun
Much to the dismay of Ilona Maher fans, Graziadei and partner Jenna Johnson took home the coveted Mirrorball trophy.
—Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 28 Nov. 2024
But there was dismay for the Commanders as Seibert hooked the kick and another miracle Washington comeback fell by the wayside.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dismay
Dictionary Entries Near dismay
Cite this Entry
“Dismay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dismay. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dismay
1 of 2 verb
dis·may
dis-ˈmā 
diz-
1
: to cause to lose courage or to feel concern : daunt
dismayed by their opponent's size
2
: upset entry 1 sense 2a, perturb
dismayed by the poor turnout
dismay
2 of 2 noun1
: loss of courage or determination from alarm or fear
2
: a feeling of alarm or disappointment
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