disheartens

verb

present tense third-person singular of dishearten
as in discourages
to lessen the courage or confidence of we were disheartened by the news that our grandmother was seriously ill

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for disheartens
  1. discourages
  2. frustrates
Verb
  • Couple that with the effort required to turn it, and its unnecessarily large size, and you’re left with a vehicle that paradoxically can hold its own in the twisties, but almost discourages you from finding out how well.
    — Adam Ismail, The Drive, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Culturally, college football scratches the human itch for tribalism, which America’s ethos of individualism fortunately discourages.
    — George F. Will, Washington Post, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of discourages
Verb
  • The nation’s paperwork regime frustrates every resident, and particularly lower-income residents who use more government programs and interact more frequently with public officials.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026
  • What frustrates him more is the way Americans talk about those caught in it.
    — Victor Dey, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of frustrates
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.

Browse Nearby Words

disheartenment
disheartens
dished
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Disheartens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disheartens. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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