dismaying 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of dismayingnext
as in disconcerting

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dismaying

2 of 2

verb

present participle of dismay
1
as in discouraging
to lessen the courage or confidence of the imposing climb up the mountain dismayed us even before we got started

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2
as in alarming
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy parents who became increasingly dismayed by their son's foundering marriage

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Example 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 dismaying
Adjective
But there’s another side to this story, equally dismaying, which is the abandonment of dissidents as a public cause in the West. — Bret Stephens, Mercury News, 12 Feb. 2026 With little to no foil for this dismaying existence, however, Half His Age often succumbs to shock value in lieu of pushing beyond that which offends. — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 22 Jan. 2026
Verb
Thinking of my mother marooned in her house was dismaying to me. — Nicholas Dawidoff, New Yorker, 10 May 2026 That the Illini couldn’t complete their comeback attempt despite cutting it to four in the final minutes was dismaying. — Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dismaying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dismaying
  1. disconcerting
  2. discouraging
  3. alarming
  4. disheartening
  5. frustrating
  6. disturbing
  7. troubling
  8. worrying
Adjective
  • Ultimately, swarms of AI could combine in rather disconcerting and dangerous ways.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • There was a brief, disconcerting interlude of quiet from the Argentina fans after that.
    — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
Definition of disconcerting
Verb
  • At the same time, government officials have cast doubt on the safety of vaccines, further discouraging vaccination.
    — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Lieu expressed concern that security perimeters would be so large during the Games that drop-off points would be even more distant, necessitating walks of up to half an hour, discouraging fans from taking buses.
    — James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of discouraging
Verb
  • The development proved alarming enough that OpenAI vowed last week to slow the release of its upcoming Astra AI model.
    — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Found in many foods For consumers, of course, the latest food safety concerns can be alarming given that lettuce and jalapeño peppers are used in many of the roughly 1 billion meals Americans consume daily.
    — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of alarming
Adjective
  • Amid disheartening and disruptive school closures and thousands of position cuts districts have been forced to implement due to million-dollar budget shortfalls, vacancies have continued to climb.
    — Andrew Spar, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026
  • This has been especially disheartening because the strategy and RPG elements the series is known for have so far been excellent.
    — Jay Peters, The Verge, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of disheartening
Verb
  • But Algo’s hyper-logical, computerised process of consistently picking the favourites to win was undone in the second match of the day, with Ghana frustrating England in a 0-0 draw.
    — The Athletic Soccer Experts, New York Times, 24 June 2026
  • The documentary’s contradiction is right there, enthralling us with the wild achievements Potter pulled off and frustrating us with his bombast, leading us to ponder whether, as The Dark Wizard suggests, either could exist without the other.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 7 May 2026
Definition of frustrating
Verb
  • The relative rarity and disturbing nature of these cases are part of what attracts so much attention, said Michelle Oberman, a law professor at Santa Clara University who has studied and written about women who kill their children.
    — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
  • But after a series of disturbing events begins occurring around town, including the arrival of a mysterious stranger, Madeline, Celeste, Renata, Jane and Bonnie must grapple with the weight of their past secrets, a synopsis reads.
    — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Adjective
  • Their affection feels genuine, which makes the fault lines beneath it more troubling.
    — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
  • But as the team recently spotted troubling signs during yet another training run of an unreleased model—one expected to deliver the biggest leap yet—a more consequential decision was made to pause it until new security measures were put in place.
    — Alex Heath, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of troubling
Verb
  • This was several shades darker, worrying about economic upheaval, social unrest, cyberattacks, bioterrorism—and most important, the failure of experts and governments to take these threats seriously enough.
    — Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Celeste begins worrying about her mother-in-law after her credit cards are declined and her outfits are increasingly out of place, but things begin to click when Mary-Louise gives Max, Josh and Ziggy expensive cars.
    — Matt Minton, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of worrying

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Cite this Entry

“Dismaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dismaying. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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