DISPIRITING Synonyms: 114 Similar and Opposite Words

dispiriting 1 of 2

adjective

as in disheartening

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

dispiriting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of dispirit

as in discouraging

to lessen the courage or confidence of dispirited by the overwhelming amount of information needed to write the report

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of dispiriting

Adjective

Without spoiling the plot, there’s a dispiriting note at the end of the film as text on-screen informs us that some very high percentage of Americans get their news from Facebook to this day. — Daniel D'addario, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026 For Tampa, what was even more dispiriting than falling to 0-3 was that quarterback Baker Mayfield left with a dislocated thumb that puts his active league-high streak of 54 consecutive starts in jeopardy. — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 28 Sep. 2026 That means that the richest and most powerful country in the world has seen a dramatic and dispiriting decline in opportunity for the less well off. — John Lanchester, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026 The dispiriting run that followed left Moyes vulnerable, but the Scot, who first managed the club between 2002-13 before leaving for the Manchester United job, has now become a figure of reassurance. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026 And the movie ends with one of the most dispiriting twists in mainstream movie history. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026 That said, the more dispiriting possibility is that Gluck as a creator has gradually become too insulated from the industry’s rougher edges to recognize that his work makes an impact regardless of his intentions. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Aug. 2026 The second explanation is less technical but more dispiriting. — John Romano, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Aug. 2026 The exits of the two men, who both identify as gay, will also mark a dispiriting step backward for LGBTQ+ representation in the C‑suite. — Phil Wahba, Fortune, 20 June 2026

Verb

That potential season-salvaging win came after two dispiriting Ls to division opponents. — Elise Devlin, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2026 The win eases some of the pressure on coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans, who improved sharply on defense after last week's dispiriting home loss to Oregon. — ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026 And Clark put up a dispiriting performance, finishing with only 18 points and four assists. — Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026 Haina job seeker on hiatus Coda says his mental health during his job search, while dispiriting, was less affected by the tepid responses because his family had been saving aggressively. — Sarah Jackson jennifer Liu, CNBC, 2 Aug. 2026 And yet for God’s sake, just look at the man—at his dispiriting attempts at humor, his weirdly off-putting outfits, his incessant posting of banalities and faux profundities and extreme-right disinformation on social media. — Mark O’Connell, The New York Review of Books, 4 July 2026 Tess, meanwhile, suggests a more vulnerable reality behind that brittle exterior—a faith that talent and perseverance can pay off, a desire for agency amid dispiriting circumstances. — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 15 June 2026 After a long international flight, the lines at passport control and immigration can be dispiriting. — Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2026 That dispiriting news, coupled with consumer sentiment plunging to the lowest point ever recorded, should be enough to set off alarm bells and trigger talk of the economy flirting with recession. — Greg Petro, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispiriting

Adjective

Perhaps the most disheartening part, though, was the fact that the Falcons offense had to operate on a silent count at home.

— Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 19 Oct. 2026
One of the more disheartening developments for the Eagles has been their complete inability to generate productive drives upon returning from halftime.

— Andy Behrens, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of disheartening

Verb

But flying less can raise operating costs per seat, while pushing prices higher risks discouraging travelers who have already absorbed steep increases.

— Reuters, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026
At the risk of discouraging readers, this chapter’s protagonists will include cholecalciferol, ammonia, neonicotinoids, polyethylene, 17α-methyltestosterone, and diclofenac.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of discouraging

Adjective

Most dismaying to me was the group’s seemingly endless tinkering with the menu at Rowdy Rooster, its fast-casual fried-chicken spot, including a downgrade in the chicken’s range of heat.

— Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 19 July 2026
Some recent comments from longtime Voicers have been especially dismaying.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 4 June 2026

Definition of dismaying

Verb

But Algo’s hyper-logical, computerised process of consistently picking the favourites to win was undone in the second match of the day, with Ghana frustrating England in a 0-0 draw.

— The Athletic Soccer Experts, New York Times, 24 June 2026
The documentary’s contradiction is right there, enthralling us with the wild achievements Potter pulled off and frustrating us with his bombast, leading us to ponder whether, as The Dark Wizard suggests, either could exist without the other.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 7 May 2026

Definition of frustrating

Adjective

The effect is especially disconcerting as this father and daughter navigate glad-handers and former Nazi collaborators in West Germany who are anxious to bury the past.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Like Biden, in this cycle Lula found that a disconcerting number of his compatriots were unmoved by his calls to save democracy from those who would seek to undermine it—or didn’t buy into his rhetoric in the first place.

— Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of disconcerting

Adjective

There’s head-to-toe Helly Hansen rain gear in every closet and a fireplace in every room to make the spring climes of the Pacific Northwest feel less daunting.

— Alexandra Marvar, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
Starting with a few basic questions can make the process less daunting.

— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of daunting

Adjective

One particularly troubling example comes from the Justice Department's case against Epsilon Data Management.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
From a troubling police restraint death in Elk Grove to a new food literacy TV show, Sacramento made plenty of headlines recently.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of troubling

Browse Nearby Words

dispiritedness

dispiriting

dispirits

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Dispiriting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispiriting. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of dispiriting

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

shindig

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes