Disheartening — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb adjective /(ˌ)dis-ˈhär-tᵊn/ dis·heart·en

Meaning & Definition of Disheartening

Disheartening (verb)

  1. to cause to lose hope, enthusiasm, or courage, to cause to lose spirit or morale

Disheartening (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in daunting, disconcerting

    similar: daunting, demoralizing, discomfiting, disconcerting, discouraging, dismaying, dispiriting, discomforting, discomposing, disquieting, distressing, disturbing, nagging, nasty, perturbing, troublesome, troubling, troublous, unsettling, upsetting, worrisome, chilling, frightening, scary, harassing, persecutive, persecutory, alarming, dire, direful, dread, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, forbidding, formidable, frightful, ghastly, hair-raising, horrendous, horrible, horrifying, intimidating, shocking, terrible, terrifying
    opposite: reassuring, calming, quieting, settling, soothing, comforting, consoling, dreamy, inviting, lulling, narcotic, pacifying, relaxing, sedative, tranquilizing

Disheartening (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to lessen the courage or confidence of

    "we were disheartened by the news that our grandmother was seriously ill"

    similar: chilling, daunting, demoralizing, discouraging, dismaying, dispiriting, frustrating, unmanning, unnerving, throwing cold water on
    related: browbeating, bullying, cowing, intimidating, depressing, saddening, weighing, afflicting, trying, dampening, damping, deadening, distressing, troubling, bothering, irking, vexing, worrying, debilitating, enfeebling, undermining, weakening, frightening, horrifying, scaring
    opposite: emboldening, encouraging, heartening, nerving, steeling
    near: buoying (up), cheering, gladdening, animating, enlivening, invigorating, enforcing, fortifying, reinforcing, strengthening, assuring, reassuring, boosting, energizing, exciting, galvanizing, inspiring, lifting, provoking, quickening, rallying, stimulating, stirring

Related Entry: Dishearten (verb)

Dishearten is a different word from Disheartening. The synonyms below are for dishearten, not for disheartening.

  1. to lessen the courage or confidence of

    "we were disheartened by the news that our grandmother was seriously ill"

    similar: chill, daunt, demoralize, discourage, dismay, dispirit, frustrate, unman, unnerve, throw cold water on
    related: browbeat, bully, cow, intimidate, depress, sadden, weigh, afflict, try, damp, dampen, deaden, distress, trouble, bother, irk, vex, worry, debilitate, enfeeble, undermine, weaken, frighten, horrify, scare
    opposite: embolden, encourage, hearten, nerve, steel
    near: buoy (up), cheer, gladden, animate, enliven, invigorate, enforce, fortify, reinforce, strengthen, assure, reassure, boost, energize, excite, galvanize, inspire, lift, provoke, quicken, rally, stimulate, stir

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Disheartening

The most common words with a similar meaning to Disheartening:

daunting, demoralizing, discomfiting, disconcerting, discouraging, dismaying, dispiriting, discomforting, discomposing, disquieting, distressing, disturbing, nagging, nasty, perturbing, troublesome, troubling, troublous, unsettling, upsetting, worrisome, chilling, frightening, scary, harassing, persecutive, persecutory, alarming, dire, direful, dread, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, forbidding, formidable, frightful, ghastly, hair-raising, horrendous

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Disheartening

Words with the opposite meaning of Disheartening:

reassuring, calming, quieting, settling, soothing, comforting, consoling, dreamy, inviting, lulling, narcotic, pacifying, relaxing, sedative, tranquilizing, emboldening, encouraging, heartening, nerving, steeling

Related Words for Disheartening

browbeating, bullying, cowing, depressing, saddening, weighing, afflicting, trying, dampening, damping, deadening, bothering, irking, vexing, worrying, debilitating, enfeebling, undermining, weakening, scaring

Near Antonyms of Disheartening

buoying (up), cheering, gladdening, animating, enlivening, invigorating, enforcing, fortifying, reinforcing, strengthening, assuring, boosting, energizing, exciting, galvanizing, inspiring, lifting, provoking, quickening, rallying, stimulating, stirring

Word Forms of Disheartening

Inflections: disheartened, disheartens

Derived words: dishearteningly (adverb), disheartenment (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Disheartening

First known use: 1590

Frequently Asked Questions about Disheartening

What does "Disheartening" mean?

"Disheartening" means to cause to lose hope, enthusiasm, or courage, to cause to lose spirit or morale. As an a verb and an adjective, it is defined as: to cause to lose hope, enthusiasm, or courage, to cause to lose spirit or morale. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Disheartening"?

Other words for "Disheartening" include daunting, demoralizing, discomfiting, disconcerting, discouraging, dismaying, dispiriting and discomforting. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Disheartening" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Disheartening"?

There are 70 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Disheartening". Common alternatives include daunting, demoralizing, discomfiting, disconcerting, discouraging, dismaying, dispiriting, discomforting, discomposing and disquieting.

What is the opposite of "Disheartening"?

Antonyms of "Disheartening" include reassuring, calming, quieting, settling, soothing, comforting, consoling and dreamy. Near antonyms include buoying (up), cheering, gladdening and animating.

How do you use "Disheartening" in a sentence?

Examples of "Disheartening" in a sentence: "we were disheartened by the news that our grandmother was seriously ill".

Is "Disheartening" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Disheartening" can be used as a verb and an adjective, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Disheartening"?

"Disheartening" is pronounced /(ˌ)dis-ˈhär-tᵊn/ and divided into syllables as dis·heart·en.

What is the origin of the word "Disheartening"?

First known use: 1590.