disillusioned

1 of 2

adjective

dis·​il·​lu·​sion·​ed ˌdis-ə-ˈlü-zhənd How to pronounce disillusioned (audio)
Synonyms of disillusioned
: having lost faith or trust in something formerly regarded as good or valuable
becoming more and more disillusioned with politics
Overworked, tired, disillusioned, with a shaky marriage, the district attorney finally gets a case that he really wants to prosecute.—The New York Times Book Review
The camps grew restive and disillusioned, but refused to give up.—Nora Levin
The disillusioned children of troubled marriages suffer from their parents' transgressions long into adulthood.—Marianne Gingher

disillusioned

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of disillusion entry 2

Examples of disillusioned in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective
How will this play out as these brave, disillusioned journalists enter our world? — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026 But doubling down on defensive moderate talking points and ignoring a disillusioned working class are no longer winnable strategies. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026 Ali Asgari’s A Bit of Light joins the lineup, a drama bout a disillusioned Iranian doctor (Misagh Zareh) who is determined to end his life, and spends one final day visiting his siblings and mother to prepare them for his departure. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2026 That reflects a more general sentiment among rural voters, who have become increasingly disillusioned with the direction of the country, according to a poll from March by the Center for Rural Strategies. — Scott Neuman, NPR, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disillusioned

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1858, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disillusioned was in 1858

Browse Nearby Words

disillusionary
disillusioned
disillusionment
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Disillusioned.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disillusioned. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on disillusioned

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for disillusioned

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All