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Dismay: meaning, definitions and examples

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dismay

 

[ dɪsˈmeɪ ]

Noun / Verb
Context #1 | Noun

feeling

A sudden feeling of distress, disappointment, or loss of hope.

Synonyms

despair, disappointment, discouragement

Examples of usage

  • The news of the accident filled her with dismay.
  • He could not hide his dismay at the results of the election.
Context #2 | Verb

action

To cause someone to feel distress, disappointment, or loss of hope.

Synonyms

disturb, unsettle, upset

Examples of usage

  • The decision to cancel the event dismayed many attendees.
  • The teacher's harsh criticism dismayed the students.

Translations

Translations of the word "dismay" in other languages:

🇵🇹 consternação

🇮🇳 विस्मय

🇩🇪 Bestürzung

🇮🇩 keterkejutan

🇺🇦 збентеження

🇵🇱 niepokój

🇯🇵 驚愕 (きょうがく)

🇫🇷 consternation

🇪🇸 consternación

🇹🇷 dehşet

🇰🇷 경악 (gyeong-ak)

🇸🇦 ذعر

🇨🇿 zděšení

🇸🇰 zdesenie

🇨🇳 惊愕 (jīng'è)

🇸🇮 osuplost

🇮🇸 skelfing

🇰🇿 абыржу

🇬🇪 შეშფოთება

🇦🇿 təlaş

🇲🇽 consternación

Word origin

The word 'dismay' originated from the Old French word 'desmaier', which means 'to lose heart'. It entered the English language in the early 13th century, evolving to its current usage to describe feelings of distress or disappointment.

See also: may, maybe, mayor.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranked #11,416, this word falls into high-advanced vocabulary. It appears less frequently but is valuable for expressing precise meanings in specific contexts.