dismayed
Americanadjective
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thoroughly disheartened, as by sudden danger or trouble.
When he was sick and in prison, and the non-cooperation movement ebbed, Gandhi was not dismayed or discouraged.
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surprised and disillusioned or disappointed.
Many were dismayed at the way the ad trivialized the Tibetan people's struggle for freedom and survival.
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alarmed or perturbed.
As a teacher in a K-8 school, I am extremely dismayed at the talk of more unstable funding for education.
verb
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the simple past tense and past participle of dismay.
Other Word Forms
- dismayedness noun
- undismayed adjective
Etymology
Origin of dismayed
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, said he was "dismayed" by reports of the air strikes and civilian casualties.
From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026
Seeing Samary revealed as the coup spokesman, Tévoédjrè was dismayed to realize he had sent a mutineer to stop a mutiny.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026
Strong, who is an anthropologist, said she was dismayed by the "massive increase" in reports and there are a "combination of factors" contributing to why that may be.
From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026
Marshall brokered a cease-fire between a dismayed Chiang and gleeful Communists in January 1946: It was meant to last for two weeks but “became a four-month truce that changed the course of the civil war.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026
“Maybe I should turn the lights out,” says the Commander, dismayed and no doubt disappointed.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.