DISMAY

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does dismay mean? 

• DISMAY (noun)
  The noun DISMAY has 2 senses:

1. the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles

2. fear resulting from the awareness of danger

  Familiarity information: DISMAY used as a noun is rare.

• DISMAY (verb)
  The verb DISMAY has 2 senses:

1. lower someone's spirits; make downhearted

2. fill with apprehension or alarm; cause to be unpleasantly surprised

  Familiarity information: DISMAY used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DISMAY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The feeling of despair in the face of obstacles

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Synonyms:

discouragement; disheartenment; dismay

Hypernyms ("dismay" is a kind of...):

despair (the feeling that everything is wrong and nothing will turn out well)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "dismay"):

intimidation (the feeling of discouragement in the face of someone's superior fame or wealth or status etc.)

Derivation:

dismay (lower someone's spirits; make downhearted)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Fear resulting from the awareness of danger

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Synonyms:

alarm; consternation; dismay

Hypernyms ("dismay" is a kind of...):

fear; fearfulness; fright (an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight))

Attribute:

alarming (frightening because of an awareness of danger)

unalarming (not alarming; assuaging alarm)

Derivation:

dismay (fill with apprehension or alarm; cause to be unpleasantly surprised)

• DISMAY (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they dismay    ... he / she / it dismays   
Past simple: dismayed   
Past participle: dismayed   
-ing form: dismaying   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Lower someone's spirits; make downhearted

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

cast down; deject; demoralise; demoralize; depress; dismay; dispirit; get down

Context example:

The bad state of her child's health demoralizes her

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

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

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "dismay"):

chill (depress or discourage)

Sentence frames:

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

Sentence examples:

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

Derivation:

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

Sense 2

Meaning:

Fill with apprehension or alarm; cause to be unpleasantly surprised

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

alarm; appal; appall; dismay; horrify

Context example:

The news of the executions horrified us

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

affright; fright; frighten; scare (cause fear in)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "dismay"):

shock (strike with horror or terror)

Sentence frames:

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

Sentence examples:

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

Derivation:

dismay (fear resulting from the awareness of danger)

 Context examples 

It was in the spring of the year 1894 that all London was interested, and the fashionable world dismayed, by the murder of the Honourable Ronald Adair under most unusual and inexplicable circumstances.

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

"I can't. I'm not playing, I never do," said Frank, dismayed at the sentimental predicament out of which he was to rescue the absurd couple.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

“Oh, Humphrey!” I heard Maud cry in dismay and suddenly stop.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

I was quite dismayed by the idea of this terrible Jorkins.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

“Undreamed of!” cried Mercedes, throwing up her hands in dainty dismay.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

The arrival of Van Helsing's telegram filled me with dismay.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Suddenly, however, his eyes dropped upon his food, and he gave a howl of dismay.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

She had changed her position; and, with her eyes fixed intently on one of the windows, was listening to her uncle in the utmost perturbation and dismay.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

Emma was rather in dismay when only half a minute afterwards he began to speak of other things, and in a voice of the greatest alacrity and enjoyment.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

The whole district was in sorrow and dismay because of them, and yet no one could do anything to stop this.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)