dismay
What does "dismay" mean?
Dismay describes a feeling of sudden disappointment, discouragement, or distress caused by something unexpected. Imagine the heavy, sinking feeling in your stomach when you discover a plan has fallen apart or that you have failed a test you felt confident about. It is a mixture of shock and loss of hope. While it is a common word, it carries a slightly formal or literary weight compared to simple words like "upset" or "sad." It is often used in professional contexts or narrative writing to describe a reaction to bad news, such as "to one's dismay," which highlights that the outcome was the exact opposite of what the person desired.
"dismay" in conversation
Checking a project deadline
Did you see the email from the manager?
Did you see the email from the manager?
Yes, much to my dismay, the deadline was moved up by two days.
Yes, much to my dismay, the deadline was moved up by two days.
Using 'much to my dismay' is a classic way to express that an outcome is personally frustrating.
Looking at a messy room
I looked at the state of the living room with pure dismay.
I looked at the state of the living room with pure dismay.
I'm sorry, I'll clean it up right now!
I'm sorry, I'll clean it up right now!
Dismay can describe a reaction to a disappointing physical state or mess.
"dismay" in a sentence
He looked at his broken phone with dismay.
He looked at his broken phone with dismay.
To the team's dismay, the match was cancelled due to heavy rain.
To the team's dismay, the match was cancelled due to heavy rain.
The committee expressed dismay at the lack of progress made on the environmental initiative.
The committee expressed dismay at the lack of progress made on the environmental initiative.
