dismaying
Causing spirits to sink
Dismaying describes something that causes a sudden loss of confidence, courage, or hope.
A dismaying discovery shakes your sense of what you expected or hoped for: The dismaying news spread quickly through the office.
What's dismaying isn't just bad—it unsettles or disheartens: a dismaying lack of progress, dismaying election results.
Causing loss of confidence
- demoralizingDestroying confidence or hope
- dispiritingCausing loss of enthusiasm
- saddeningCausing emotional pain
- depressingCausing low mood
deflating · defeating · hopeless · bleak · gloomy · despondent · crestfallen · disconsolate
Anxious mental preoccupation
- troublingCausing unease or concern
- concerningCausing worry or unease
- disturbingCausing mental unease
- distressingCausing anguish or worry
unsettling · frightening · unnerving · perturbing · disquieting · ominous · foreboding · threatening
Inspiring horror or disgust
- horrifyingCausing extreme fear
- staggeringShockingly impressive or unsteady
- startlingCausing sudden surprise
- stunningExtremely impressive or beautiful
astounding · jarring · jolting · devastating · ghastly · dreadful · terrible · awful
discouraging
Causing loss of confidence
- demoralizingDestroying confidence or hope
- dispiritingCausing loss of enthusiasm
- saddeningCausing emotional pain
depressing · deflating · defeating · hopeless · bleak · gloomy · despondent · crestfallen · disconsolate · forlorn
worrying
Anxious mental preoccupation
- troublingCausing unease or concern
- concerningCausing worry or unease
- disturbingCausing mental unease
distressing · unsettling · frightening · unnerving · perturbing · disquieting · ominous · foreboding · threatening · dire
appalling
Inspiring horror or disgust
- horrifyingCausing extreme fear
- staggeringShockingly impressive or unsteady
- startlingCausing sudden surprise
stunning · astounding · jarring · jolting · devastating · ghastly · dreadful · terrible · awful · outrageous
- dispiritingdemoralizing, discouraging, disheartening, dispiriting, deflating
- exhaustingdraining, taxing, tiring, exhausting, fatiguing
dismayingencouraging
Giving confidence or hope
heartening · comforting · reassuring · cheering · uplifting
dismayingencouraging
Giving confidence or hope
heartening · inspiring · emboldening · reassuring · promising