dismay 1 of 2

dismay

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verb

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb dismay contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of dismay are appall, daunt, and horrify. While all these words 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

When would appall be a good substitute for dismay?

While the synonyms appall and dismay are close in meaning, appall implies that one is faced with that which perturbs, confounds, or shocks.

I am appalled by your behavior

In what contexts can daunt take the place of dismay?

In some situations, the words daunt and dismay are roughly equivalent. However, daunt suggests a cowing, disheartening, or frightening in a venture requiring courage.

a cliff that would daunt the most intrepid climber

Where would horrify be a reasonable alternative to dismay?

The words horrify and dismay can be used in similar contexts, but horrify stresses a reaction of horror or revulsion.

was horrified by such wanton cruelty

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dismay
Noun
Today's top stories Iran's capital has been in dismay after the sudden collapse of the Syrian regime. Brittney Melton, NPR, 13 Dec. 2024 Reading these stories was never about inviting pain, frustration, or dismay for the sake of it. Seyward Darby, Longreads, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
She was dismayed by the direction her party had taken. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 28 Oct. 2024 Higher education lobbyists are dismayed at the likely new chair of the Senate commerce and science committee: Senator Ted Cruz (R–TX). Byjeffrey Mervis, science.org, 12 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dismay 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dismay
Noun
  • While the Jets' season has been a disappointment, this game offers one final opportunity to play spoiler and potentially end Miami's playoff hopes.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 5 Jan. 2025
  • The overall future The Condors have been a disappointment in the past couple of seasons.
    Allan Mitchell, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Antonio scored an early opener and Jarrod Bowen was denied from close range shortly after, with Moyes falling to the ground in despair.
    Roshane Thomas, The Athletic, 1 Jan. 2025
  • Carter later credited that sacrifice for pulling him from his despair and eventually leading him to found The Carter Presidential Center -- a multifaceted nonprofit aimed at promoting human rights, with missions as varied as election monitoring and eradicating parasitic diseases.
    Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 31 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • And some longtime women's hoops stars have denounced certain supporters of Clark and discouraged them from following the sport.
    Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 8 Jan. 2025
  • Obama and his inner circle discouraged Biden from running for president in 2016, opting to prop up then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton instead.
    Elaine Mallon, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • And yet as far as the public was concerned, the company had gone to great lengths to keep the initiative under wraps.
    Liz Pelly, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
  • While some Democrats are confident the party will come together again after a disappointing election, others are concerned few lessons have been learned.
    Naomi Lim, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 1 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • For instance, neurodivergent students may struggle to focus and absorb information effectively, leading to frustration, which further fuels the problem.
    William Jones, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025
  • This shift has led to frustration and disappointment among job seekers who invest time and effort in the interview process.
    Jack Kelly, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • This frustrates users, who watch Apple’s everyone, everywhere updates with some envy.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025
  • Rosenblatt set up the company after noticing that clubs and national governing bodies (NGBs) were getting frustrated at the lack of control and quality assurance when players sought external help.
    Sarah Shephard, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The agency said that while there is no cause to be alarmed by news of the polar vortex, people should be prepared for colder temperatures.
    Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 1 Jan. 2025
  • By Jason Gale | Bloomberg As Covid swept across California in early 2020, pediatric infectious diseases physician Karin Nielsen grew alarmed by the crisis erupting in maternity wards.
    Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 27 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Understanding The Pessimistic Demographic A significant segment of Americans—often older, predominantly white and earning less than $50,000 annually—expresses profound dissatisfaction with the state of the world.
    Rebecca Brooks, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
  • Already-high public dissatisfaction has gotten even higher in the aftermath of events in Syria.
    Richard Haass, Foreign Affairs, 6 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near dismay

Cite this Entry

“Dismay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dismay. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on dismay

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