disappointed
disappointed
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "disappointed" is /ˌdɪs.əˈpɔɪn.tɪd/.
Here's a breakdown of the sounds of each syllable:
dis- /dɪs/:
/d/ - voiced alveolar plosive
/ɪ/ - near-close near-front unrounded vowel
/s/ - voiceless alveolar fricative
-ap- /ə/:
/ə/ - schwa (mid-central vowel)
-point- /pɔɪnt/:
/p/ - voiceless bilabial plosive
/ɔɪ/ - diphthong (open-mid back rounded vowel followed by near-close near-front unrounded vowel)
/n/ - voiced alveolar nasal
/t/ - voiceless alveolar plosive
-ed /tɪd/:
/t/ - voiceless alveolar plosive
/ɪ/ - near-close near-front unrounded vowel
/d/ - voiced alveolar plosive
Word Form Variations
Verb: disappoint, disappoints, disappointing, disappointed
Adjective: disappointed, disappointing
Noun: disappointment, disappointments
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Verb
Disappoint: To fail to fulfill the expectations or hopes of someone; to cause someone to feel let down or sad because something did not happen as anticipated.
Synonyms: let down, dishearten, dismay, sadden, disillusion
Antonyms: please, satisfy, gratify, gladden, encourage
Adjective
Disappointed: Feeling or showing sadness or displeasure because someone or something has failed to fulfill one's hopes or expectations.
Synonyms: let down, dejected, crestfallen, disheartened, disillusioned, dismayed, unhappy, sad
Antonyms: pleased, satisfied, content, happy, hopeful, encouraged, gratified
Noun
Disappointment: The feeling of sadness or displeasure caused by the failure of one's hopes or expectations; also, a person or thing that causes such a feeling.
Synonyms: letdown, setback, anticlimax, disillusionment, regret, frustration
Antonyms: satisfaction, joy, triumph, success, fulfillment, delight
Examples of Use
Books: "He was deeply disappointed that his long-cherished dream of studying abroad had to be postponed indefinitely."
Newspapers: "Fans were left disappointed after the highly anticipated concert was canceled at the last minute due to unforeseen circumstances." (The Daily Nation)
Online Publications: "Many investors expressed their disappointment with the company's second-quarter earnings report, which fell short of analyst expectations." (Forbes.com)
Entertainment Mediums (Film): In the film The Shawshank Redemption, Andy Dufresne is visibly disappointed when his repeated parole requests are denied, despite his efforts at rehabilitation.
Entertainment Platforms (Television Series): "Viewers were largely disappointed with the season finale of The Crown, citing several unresolved plotlines and an abrupt ending." (TV Guide)
General Public Discourse (Social Media): "So disappointed with the new update on my favorite app. It's so buggy now!" (X, formerly Twitter, user post)
General Public Discourse (Interview): "I'm not disappointed by the outcome; I'm just disappointed that we didn't get to showcase our full potential," said the coach after the team's loss.
10 Quotes Using Disappointed
"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope." (Martin Luther King Jr.)
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do." (H. Jackson Brown Jr.)
"If you expect nothing from somebody you are never disappointed." (Sylvia Plath)
"You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try." (Beverly Sills)
"Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love." (Jane Austen)
"Inside every cynical person, there is a disappointed idealist." (George Carlin)
"Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed." (Alexander Pope)
"If humanity doesn't land on Mars in my lifetime, I would be very disappointed." (Elon Musk)
"Man alone is born crying, lives complaining, and dies disappointed." (Samuel Johnson)
"Never marry at all, Dorian. Men marry because they are tired, women, because they are curious: both are disappointed." (Oscar Wilde)
Etymology
The word "disappointed" comes from the verb "disappoint." Its roots trace back to Old French in the 14th century, specifically to the word "desappointer."
"dis-": This is a common prefix in English and French that means "un-," "not," or "the opposite of."
"appoint": This part comes from the Old French word "apointier," which meant "to arrange," "to settle," or "to fix a time or place for something." The underlying idea of "point" here relates to coming to a specific "point" or agreement.
So, when "desappointer" first appeared in Old French, its original meaning was more literal: "to undo an appointment," or "to remove someone from an appointed office." Imagine someone was "appointed" to a position, and then they were "desappointed" – meaning they were removed from that office.
Over time, as the word traveled into Middle English (around the 15th century), its meaning began to shift. It started to take on the sense of "to frustrate the expectations or desires of someone." This likely evolved from the idea of failing to keep an "appointment" or a "promise," leading to a feeling of being let down or thwarted.
The adjective "disappointed" (meaning feeling sad or let down because hopes weren't met) first appeared in English around the mid-1500s. So, while the verb initially referred to undoing an official arrangement, it quickly developed the more emotional meaning we commonly use today.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Disappointed
Be sorely disappointed: To be very or deeply disappointed.
Disappointed in/with someone/something: Expressing the object of one's disappointment.
To disappoint expectations: To fail to meet what was hoped for.
Let down: To disappoint someone, often by failing to do something promised or expected.
Dash one's hopes: To suddenly ruin someone's hopes or expectations.
Bring down: To cause someone to feel sad or discouraged.
A bitter pill to swallow: An unpleasant or disappointing fact or situation that must be accepted.
Leave a bad taste in one's mouth: To leave one with an unpleasant feeling or memory, often due to disappointment.
Cut to the quick: To hurt someone's feelings deeply, often by a disappointing or harsh remark.
Fall short: To fail to reach an expected standard or level (often implying disappointment).
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of disappointed from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
