dismay

1 of 2

verb

dis·​may dis-ˈmā How to pronounce dismay (audio)
diz-
dismayed; dismaying

transitive verb

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
2
: upset, perturb
were dismayed by the condition of the building

dismay

2 of 2

noun

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
Choose the Right Synonym for dismay

dismay, appall, horrify, daunt mean to unnerve or deter by arousing fear, apprehension, or aversion.

dismay implies that one is disconcerted and at a loss as to how to deal with something.

dismayed at the size of the job

appall implies that one is faced with that which perturbs, confounds, or shocks.

I am appalled by your behavior

horrify stresses a reaction of horror or revulsion.

was horrified by such wanton cruelty

daunt suggests a cowing, disheartening, or frightening in a venture requiring courage.

a cliff that would daunt the most intrepid climber

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
Verb
Others were dismayed at Pacino’s apparent failure to inject a bit of verve and suspense into the proceedings (as if everyone in the world didn’t know Oppenheimer was about to win, anyway). Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2024 McGovern was dismayed to see several friends vote against the motion, including a former college classmate, someone McGovern campaigned for and another to whose child McGovern gave music lessons. Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2024 Latino and young voters dismayed Another central problem for Biden is the alienation of some key Democratic constituencies. David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024 They were dismayed the department didn't seem to be thinking bigger. Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2024 After a joyous wedding celebration, guests were dismayed to discover some of their belongings were taken from their suitcases on their trip home. Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 23 Feb. 2024 The couple was dismayed when some were torn down amid widening protests over Israel’s response by people supporting Palestinian rights. USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2024 Supervisor Janice Hahn, whose district includes the facility, said in a statement she was dismayed the county was finding itself in a familiar position: Under fire by those with the power to shut the halls down. Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2024 He was dismayed when the text explaining where the blood and oil had been sourced was removed. Nadia Beard, The New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2024
Noun
An investigator hired by the city announced during a packed March 7 city council meeting all responding officers at the school on May 24, 2022, had acted in good faith and should be exonerated, to the dismay of many victims’ families and community members. Shimon Prokupecz, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024 On Wednesday, a lawyer for the Eagles co-founder expressed dismay as the criminal case against rare-books dealer Glenn Horowitz imploded following the disclosure of 6,000 pages of material by Henley's legal team. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024 But a growing number are expressing their dismay with Netanyahu. Tia Goldenberg, arkansasonline.com, 4 Mar. 2024 What was a five-point deficit at the break for Fearne’s team ballooned to 18 points in the game’s final moments, to the dismay of what had been a raucous Halton Arena at tip-off. Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 2 Mar. 2024 In comes Eagles lineman Jalen Carter After these tweets, Philadelphia Eagles' rookie defensive lineman had some words of his own, expressing dismay with Feliciano via a story on Instagram. Jon Hoefling, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2024 Christopher Stanley, the head of information security, wrote with dismay that rate limits could apply to people refreshing the app to get news about a mass shooting or a major weather event. Zoë Schiffer, WIRED, 14 Feb. 2024 McDonald’s — to some French customers’ dismay — once rolled out a burger topped with slices of Camembert. María Luisa Paúl, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 From slippers and sandals to boots and sneakers, my closet is filled to the brim — much to my husband’s dismay. Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dismay.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French desmaier, from des- dis- + -maier, from Vulgar Latin *-magare, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German magan to be able — more at may entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dismay was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near dismay

Cite this Entry

“Dismay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dismay. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dismay

1 of 2 verb
dis·​may dis-ˈmā How to pronounce dismay (audio)
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
dismayingly adverb

dismay

2 of 2 noun
1
: loss of courage or determination from alarm or fear
2
: a feeling of alarm or disappointment

More from Merriam-Webster on dismay

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