DISMAYS Synonyms: 144 Similar and Opposite Words

dismays

verb

present tense third-person singular of dismay

as in discourages

to lessen the courage or confidence of the imposing climb up the mountain dismayed us even before we got started

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in disturbs

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 dismays This exploration of the American grasslands – from soil, water, and insects to farmers, plows, and buffalo – dismays, yes, but also invigorates. — Monitor Staff, Christian Science Monitor, 22 May 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dismays

Verb

Silver discourages mildew, mold and bacterial growth through a natural chemical process.

— BestReviews, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) strongly discourages co-sleeping with newborns under the age of 1.

— Heather Gowen Walsh, Parents, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of discourages

Verb

Traffic between somebody else's router and somebody else's laptop, say in a random coffee shop or an airport, can provide the radio field that your body disturbs to create your specific signature.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026
Tilling or plowing in the summer disturbs the soil's delicate ecosystem and exposes moist soil to rapid water loss.

— Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 24 June 2026

Definition of disturbs

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

Verb

That sequencing bothers people who’ve spent careers being told that data systems need privacy protections designed in, not bolted on after a scandal.

— Karl W. Bickel, Baltimore Sun, 25 Aug. 2026
Kurt's key takeaways What bothers me most about this scam is that criminals are going after people who may have the fewest options to protect themselves.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of bothers

Verb

There’s the studio version, which has some really interesting production, with Meg’s shuddering percussion that eventually grates and distracts, and Jack’s very chunky guitar.

— Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026
Outer Banks’ success has always rested on an emotional depth that distracts from nonsense plot points and over-the-top escapades.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of distracts

Verb

The issue, also affecting manufacturers like Xiaomi and Xpeng, concerns unsafe emergency door-release systems.

— Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
However, as someone who has been studying Antarctic krill ecology and their role in the Southern Ocean ecosystem for 16 years, what currently concerns me most is how locally concentrated that harvest has become.

— Kim S. Bernard, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of concerns

Verb

Instead, the market worries whether such high growth has already been fully priced into stock values or is approaching a growth inflection point.

— , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
The beekeeper worries the new warehouse-like facilities will raise his utility bills or change the local environment.

— Drew Hawkins, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of worries

Verb

That prospect alarms those in Europe, who fear FIFA could increasingly challenge their competitions for space on an already overcrowded calendar.

— Clemente Lisi, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
He becomes increasingly consumed by the otherworldly dimension, which alarms his therapist, Mary (Renate Reinsve).

— Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 30 May 2026

Definition of alarms

Browse Nearby Words

dismaying

dismays

dismember

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

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

Copy Citation

Synonyms of dismays

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

dissonant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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

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

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

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

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

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes