disappoint

verb

dis·​ap·​point ˌdis-ə-ˈpȯint How to pronounce disappoint (audio)
disappointed; disappointing; disappoints
Synonyms of disappointnext

transitive verb

: to fail to meet the expectation or hope of : frustrate
The team disappointed its fans.
He disappointed his parents with his decision.

intransitive verb

: to fail to meet a hope or expectation : to cause disappointment
… where the show disappoints most is in the work of the younger generation.—John Ashbery

Synonyms of disappoint

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Examples of disappoint in a Sentence

The team disappointed its fans. The show may disappoint some viewers. The novel disappoints by being predictable and overly long.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Intel’s fourth-quarter sales projections also disappointed markets, pushing its stock down 20% in after-hours trading. — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2026 Amazon shares were dropping after earnings disappointed Wall Street . — John Melloy, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2026 Castro, who has bought her tree at the lot for years, was disappointed, too. — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026 Women's college basketball never fails to disappoint, with marquee matchups way before March Madness begins. — ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disappoint

Word History

Etymology

Middle English disapointen to dispossess, from Middle French desapointer, from des- dis- + appointer to arrange — more at appoint

First Known Use

circa 1513, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of disappoint was circa 1513

Rhymes for disappoint

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Browse Nearby Words

disappear/vanish into thin air
disappoint
disappointed
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Cite this Entry

“Disappoint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disappoint. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

disappoint

verb
dis·​ap·​point ˌdis-ə-ˈpȯint How to pronounce disappoint (audio)
: to fail to meet the expectation or hope of
the team disappointed its fans
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