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

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 Coming home to Cleveland James’ four years in Miami featured two championships sandwiched between two dispiriting losses in the NBA Finals. — Mark Selig, New York Times, 23 July 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 And so that’s the dispiriting, disquieting aspect of the story. — Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 9 Apr. 2026 That opened the door for Ramon Laureano to deliver the knockout blow in the form of an RBI single to left, ultimately handing the Red Sox a dispiriting 3-2 loss. — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2026 Uddin said there are challenges to operating a food pantry at a high volume, but none more dispiriting than having to say no. — Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026

Verb

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 There were fires to put out; an unbalanced squad, unsettled players, grumpy fans, some truly dispiriting defeats. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 30 July 2026 The primary is also dispiriting for some longtime residents, who watched both Bush and Bell rise as figures in the Black Lives Matter movement. — ABC News, 26 July 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 After a honeymoon research period, Schlamminger at times found the work dispiriting. — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 7 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispiriting

Adjective

Amid disheartening and disruptive school closures and thousands of position cuts districts have been forced to implement due to million-dollar budget shortfalls, vacancies have continued to climb.

— Andrew Spar, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026
This has been especially disheartening because the strategy and RPG elements the series is known for have so far been excellent.

— Jay Peters, The Verge, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of disheartening

Verb

At the same time, government officials have cast doubt on the safety of vaccines, further discouraging vaccination.

— Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
Lieu expressed concern that security perimeters would be so large during the Games that drop-off points would be even more distant, necessitating walks of up to half an hour, discouraging fans from taking buses.

— James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 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

Their affection feels genuine, which makes the fault lines beneath it more troubling.

— Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
But as the team recently spotted troubling signs during yet another training run of an unreleased model—one expected to deliver the biggest leap yet—a more consequential decision was made to pause it until new security measures were put in place.

— Alex Heath, Time, 26 Aug. 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 31 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of dispiriting

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

gumption

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes