dispirit

verb

dis·​pir·​it (ˌ)di-ˈspir-ət How to pronounce dispirit (audio)
-ˈspi-rət
dispirited; dispiriting; dispirits
Synonyms of dispiritnext

transitive verb

: to deprive of morale or enthusiasm
dispirited
(ˌ)di-ˈspir-ə-təd How to pronounce dispirit (audio)
-ˈspi-rət
adjective
dispiritedly adverb
dispiritedness noun

Synonyms of dispirit

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of dispirit in a Sentence

dispirited by the overwhelming amount of information needed to write the report
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.
All three are mired in different, dispiriting versions of mid-life crises, and get involved in a kinky kinda sorta love triangle. — Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 24 Mar. 2026 After a honeymoon research period, Schlamminger at times found the work dispiriting. — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 7 May 2026 After a long international flight, the lines at passport control and immigration can be dispiriting. — Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2026 Bay Hill may feel like unfinished business for Morikawa after a dispiriting runner-up finish in 2025. — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dispirit

Word History

Etymology

dis- + spirit

First Known Use

1647, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dispirit was in 1647

Rhymes for dispirit

See All Rhymes for dispirit

Browse Nearby Words

dispireme
dispirit
dispiritedly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dispirit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dispirit. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

dispirit

verb
dis·​pir·​it (ˈ)dis-ˈpir-ət How to pronounce dispirit (audio)
: to deprive of cheerful spirit : dishearten
dispiritedly adverb
dispiritedness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on dispirit

Nglish: Translation of dispirit for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All