DISHEARTEN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does dishearten mean? 

• DISHEARTEN (verb)
  The verb DISHEARTEN has 1 sense:

1. take away the enthusiasm of

  Familiarity information: DISHEARTEN used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DISHEARTEN (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they dishearten    ... he / she / it disheartens   
Past simple: disheartened   
Past participle: disheartened   
-ing form: disheartening   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Take away the enthusiasm of

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

dishearten; put off

Hypernyms (to "dishearten" is one way to...):

discourage (deprive of courage or hope; take away hope from; cause to feel discouraged)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sentence examples:

The bad news will dishearten him
The performance is likely to dishearten Sue

Antonym:

hearten (give encouragement to)

Derivation:

disheartenment (a communication that leaves you disheartened or daunted)

disheartenment (the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles)

 Context examples 

‘Don’t be disheartened, Mr. Pycroft,’ said my new acquaintance, seeing the length of my face.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The Hampshire knight was not a man to be disheartened by a reverse.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“I am sorry to say,” said I, “that I have some rather disheartening intelligence from my aunt.”

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

I must say, though, when we walked down to the Ghost to inspect more closely the task before us, that the sight of the great masts lying in the water almost disheartened me.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

He could hardly ever get out, poor man, to enjoy anything, and that disheartened me from doing several things that Sir Thomas and I used to talk of.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

Tom, however, was still not disheartened; and thinking the wolf would not dislike having some chat with him as he was going along, he called out, My good friend, I can show you a famous treat.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

Elizabeth saw directly that her father had not the smallest intention of yielding; but his answers were at the same time so vague and equivocal, that her mother, though often disheartened, had never yet despaired of succeeding at last.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Then I begged her pardon and promised I should not be disheartened any more.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

There was little fight left in the peasants, however, still dazed by the explosion, amazed at their own losses and disheartened by the arrival of the disciplined archers.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

She was disheartened by Lady Bertram's silence, awed by Sir Thomas's grave looks, and quite overcome by Mrs. Norris's admonitions.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)