disheartened: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1/C2Formal to neutral
Quick answer
What does “disheartened” mean?
Feeling that one has lost hope, courage, or confidence.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Feeling that one has lost hope, courage, or confidence.
Describing a state of being dispirited, demoralised, or discouraged, often resulting from disappointment, failure, or adverse circumstances, which leads to diminished motivation.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Spelling variant: UK sometimes uses 'disheartened' and 'disheartening'; US usage is identical.
Connotations
Identical connotations of loss of hope and confidence in both varieties.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in written English than in casual speech in both regions.
Grammar
How to Use “disheartened” in a Sentence
Subject + be/feel/look/seem/grow/become + disheartenedSubject + be/feel + disheartened + by + NPSubject + be/feel + disheartened + at + NP/V-ingSubject + be/feel + disheartened + that + clauseVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “disheartened” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The constant rejections began to dishearten the young author.
- Poor weather can dishearten even the most enthusiastic gardener.
American English
- The team's losing streak disheartened its most loyal fans.
- Don't let one negative review dishearten you.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Often used to describe team morale after a project setback or negative market feedback. E.g., 'The sales team was disheartened by the quarterly results.'
Academic
Used in discussions of historical figures, literary characters, or psychological states. E.g., 'The researchers grew disheartened after years of inconclusive experiments.'
Everyday
Common in personal narratives about challenges, failures, or setbacks. E.g., 'She felt disheartened after failing her driving test again.'
Technical
Rare in highly technical fields; more common in management, psychology, or sociology texts discussing motivation and morale.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “disheartened”
Strong
Neutral
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “disheartened”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “disheartened”
- Incorrect: 'She was disheartening by the news.' (Correct: 'disheartened').
- Overuse in contexts where 'disappointed' or 'sad' would be more natural.
- Misspelling as 'dishearten' (verb) when the adjective is needed.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It describes a temporary feeling or emotional state, not a permanent personality trait. One 'feels disheartened' by an event.
They are very close synonyms. 'Disheartened' often implies a deeper, more emotional loss of hope or spirit, while 'discouraged' can be slightly milder and more focused on being put off from trying.
Not directly. It primarily describes people's feelings. However, its related verb form ('dishearten') or adjective ('disheartening') can describe events or situations (e.g., 'a disheartening setback').
The direct opposite is 'heartened' or 'encouraged'. Other strong antonyms include 'uplifted', 'buoyant', 'optimistic', and 'invigorated'.
Feeling that one has lost hope, courage, or confidence.
Disheartened is usually formal to neutral in register.
Disheartened: in British English it is pronounced /dɪsˈhɑːtnd/, and in American English it is pronounced /dɪsˈhɑːrtnd/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A disheartened silence fell over the team.”
- “He was disheartened to the core.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: DIS-HEART-ENED. Your 'heart' (courage/spirit) has been taken 'dis-' (away/removed), leaving you feeling deflated.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE HEART IS THE SEAT OF COURAGE/MORALE (Losing heart = losing courage).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses 'disheartened' correctly?