How to Use chagrin in a Sentence

chagrin

1 of 2 noun
  • She had gained five pounds over the winter, much to her chagrin.
  • He decided to get a tattoo, to the chagrin of his parents.
  • The fact that he'd been unable to attend the funeral was a source of chagrin for Ted.
  • And, to my chagrin, way too many of them watched the softball game.
    — Gene Myers, Detroit Free Press, 14 June 2022
  • But, to his wife’s chagrin, no chocolate recipes have been found.
    — La Risa R. Lynch, jsonline.com, 26 Dec. 2025
  • Much to the chagrin of his parents, too, who didn’t want the chef’s life for him.
    — Timothy Depeugh, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Certainly there is a lot of chagrin to go around in the movie.
    — Kyle Smith, WSJ, 16 Mar. 2023
  • This is much to the chagrin of its rather vocal critics.
    — Quanta Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026
  • But Democrats, to his chagrin, may not be ready either.
    — Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 27 May 2026
  • To his later chagrin, a new wardrobe was involved in that, too.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 12 Nov. 2021
  • Trainers came out and helped Thorne off the field, much to his chagrin.
    — Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, 3 Sep. 2022
  • But to Hrusovsky’s chagrin, there were a few all-male panels.
    — Shirley Leung, BostonGlobe.com, 17 May 2018
  • No one knows their lines here, much to the director's chagrin.
    — Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 15 May 2022
  • White wins, to the chagrin of his opponent.
    — Kate Perez, USA Today, 15 Dec. 2025
  • The case was sent to the 5th Circuit, much to providers' chagrin.
    — Madlin Mekelburg, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2022
  • But the adage held true Monday, much to the chagrin of the Cougars.
    — Alex Vejar, The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 Mar. 2022
  • Much to Trump’s chagrin, Kimmel got the last laugh — for now.
    — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025
  • Some have even started locking items up, much to the chagrin of customers.
    — Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz, 6 Jan. 2023
  • A lot of siblings wrestle at home, much to their parents’ chagrin.
    — Darren Day, Chicago Tribune, 9 Dec. 2022
  • That situation — a source of some chagrin here — is poised to change.
    — Joanna Slater, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2022
  • Our old vacuum used to bump into our dog (much to his chagrin), and this one doesn't.
    — Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024
  • To West’s chagrin, though, the trees wouldn’t bear edible fruit.
    — Jacob Roberts, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Feb. 2022
  • High prices are par for the course for the World Cup, much to the chagrin of many fans across the world.
    — Peter Warren, Houston Chronicle, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Over at casa de Sam, Justine is settling in — much to his chagrin.
    — Kathryn Lindsay, refinery29.com, 29 June 2018
  • The network tried out some split-screen ads last season, much to the chagrin of audiences.
    — John Cassillo, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
  • Which the studios were learning, too, much to the chagrin of the theater owners.
    — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Mar. 2021
  • Karl likes the deal, and so does Gerri, much to Roman’s chagrin.
    — Kevin Sullivan, Robb Report, 14 Nov. 2021
  • The Choco Taco was pulled from menus in 2015 much to fans' chagrin.
    — Jordan Valinsky, CNN, 17 Feb. 2022
  • Esther eats and becomes more docile and keeps her tongue, much to the chagrin of the other Aunts.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes, 10 June 2021
  • This year, to the chagrin of the defense, prosecutors sought new charges.
    — Tresa Baldas, USA TODAY, 16 Sep. 2021

chagrin

2 of 2 verb
  • But some of the influencers were chagrined to find that the files inside were not new.
    — Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026
  • Just over three months later, the Bruins again were chagrined to lose No.
    — Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 15 June 2019
  • Lawler was impressed by the Ramones' farming know-how and chagrined by the loss of their 5-acre livelihood.
    — John Tuohy, Indianapolis Star, 22 May 2018
  • Klobuchar said of Gabbard, visibly chagrined that the spotlight might shift away from her Iowa tour.
    — Alexandra Jaffe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Oct. 2019
  • Thiel nodded reverently, his expression a blend of hope and chagrin.
    — Jack Butler, National Review, 31 Dec. 2023
  • This chagrins and disgusts some Ukrainians, who want sorely to get rid of that culture, or subculture.
    — Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 19 Dec. 2019
  • Fan’s performance appears to have chagrined at least one local government.
    — Chris Lau, CNN Money, 27 July 2025
  • They would be chagrined that a less-than-stellar AI person almost mindlessly struck gold by sheer dumb luck.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
  • Harriman was chagrined over a minor federal criminal case under way at that time.
    — Thomas J. Baker, WSJ, 14 Jan. 2019
  • The airline recently announced an end to its very popular free baggage check policy, much to customers’ chagrin.
    — Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 23 July 2025
  • Numbers show this sentiment is pervasive among workers, much to employers’ chagrin.
    — Jasmine Browley, Essence, 20 Dec. 2023
  • Whoever decided to start shopping Breaux or leaked the news that the club was poised to trade him before waiting on the second opinion should be chagrined.
    — John Roach, NOLA.com, 19 Aug. 2017
  • Gentry, who was chief of the former Southeast Bank’s private banking division at the time, was slightly chagrined.
    — Howard Cohen, miamiherald, 7 Aug. 2017
  • You might be chagrined to find that the details given are not especially revealing and you will be left to your intuition and hunches about what’s going on under the hood.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes, 16 Sep. 2024
  • As someone who has spent a lifetime as a public voice for social justice, I have been chagrined to see how even bland, neutral words can be quickly weaponized for cultural warfare.
    — Penny Abeywardena, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Sadie is chagrined to be thrown together with her ex, Malcolm (Brandon Scott), when he’s named the frontrunner’s spokesperson.
    — Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2024
  • Jenn introduces the driving instructor, Jesse (not Palmer), who is chagrined to learn that only one of the men — Aaron Erb — knows how to drive stick.
    — Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 23 July 2024
  • The bill’s authors were chagrined by moves from Parliament and the courts in recent decades to enshrine the Treaty of Waitangi’s promises.
    — Charlotte Graham-McLay, Christian Science Monitor, 5 June 2025
  • Unlike the old-money aristocracy who traced their wealth to their European ancestors, the new rich thrived in industry and flaunted their wealth, much to the old rich’s disgust and chagrin.
    — Chris Vognar, New York Times, 8 Nov. 2023
  • Larry Fitzgerald left the Arizona Cardinals after 17 years without a goodbye, much to many fans’ chagrin.
    — Joanna Allhands, The Arizona Republic, 19 Dec. 2024
  • Many were also chagrined by the fact that Collins, a woman and an ostensibly moderate Republican, cast her vote for Kavanaugh.
    — Anna North, Vox, 9 Oct. 2018
  • Adding a meta layer, when Brazilians see their compatriots act out this complex, preening for attention, this triggers even more chagrin about being Brazilian.
    — Shannon Sims, New Yorker, 30 July 2025
  • Other investment banks based in Moscow were chagrined and suspected that Deutsche owed its success to its alliance with Russian state interests.
    — Luke Harding, Newsweek, 21 Dec. 2017
  • Those close to Willis say she was badly rattled in the aftermath of the revelations, distraught to see her private life aired and chagrined to be criticized after a career with so many accolades.
    — Daniel Klaidman, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2024
  • In the trailer released as part of the show’s panel at the Annecy Animation Festival, the pair explore romance as adults, much to their parents chagrin.
    — Joe Otterson, Variety, 24 June 2026
  • The show already features Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nuñez), who has fled Scranton and is now chagrined to see cameras once again surveilling his every move.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Museum officials, chagrined that some 60 percent of visitors voted in favor of torture, dropped the survey, after deciding the topic was too complex for a yes-no question.
    — Mark Mazzetti, New York Times, 15 Nov. 2019
  • Anyone who has cooked chicken or turkey has probably had the experience of cutting into the bird only to be chagrined or disappointed — or both — to find the meat looks bloody or pink (and not the good kind of perky Barbie pink).
    — Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 31 July 2023
  • There were announcement stunners, artful baseball cap reveals, apparent intra-family discord, flips that thrilled one program’s supporters and chagrined another’s.
    — Chris Johnson, SI.com, 7 Feb. 2018
  • The mesh Alaia ballet flats — fashion search engine Lyst’s hottest product at the end of 2024 — are almost see-through, much to some fashionistas’ delight and others’ chagrin.
    — Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 24 July 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chagrin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: