dismays
Causes great distress
Dismays is the third-person singular of dismay, meaning to cause someone to feel concern, distress, or discouragement.
The word suggests a sinking feeling when confronted with something troubling or unexpected: The news dismays her.
What dismays often disappoints or alarms—something that undermines confidence or hope: It dismays me that so few people voted.
Causes suffering or anxiety
- upsetsDisturbs or overturns
- discouragesLessens motivation to act
- disheartensCauses loss of hope
- demoralizesDestroys confidence or hope
alarms · unsettles · troubles · disturbs · perturbs · agitates · dispirits · unnerves
Discourages through intimidation
- intimidatesFrightens into submission
- detersDiscourages through intimidation
- puts offDelays doing something
- dampensLessens intensity or moisture
chills · disconcerts · frustrates · disappoints · thwarts · undermines · weakens · saps
Surprises or disturbs greatly
- startlesShocks with surprise
- stunsOverwhelms with shock
- astonishesShocks with wonder
- astoundsShocks with amazement
surprises · blindsides · jolts · takes aback · flabbergasts · dumbfounds · staggers · bowls over
distresses
Causes suffering or anxiety
- upsetsDisturbs or overturns
- discouragesLessens motivation to act
- disheartensCauses loss of hope
demoralizes · alarms · unsettles · troubles · disturbs · perturbs · agitates · dispirits · unnerves · rattles
daunts
Discourages through intimidation
- intimidatesFrightens into submission
- detersDiscourages through intimidation
- puts offDelays doing something
dampens · chills · disconcerts · frustrates · disappoints · thwarts · undermines · weakens · saps · defeats
shocks
Surprises or disturbs greatly
- startlesShocks with surprise
- stunsOverwhelms with shock
- astonishesShocks with wonder
astounds · surprises · blindsides · jolts · takes aback · flabbergasts · dumbfounds · staggers · bowls over · floors
- let downdisappoints, fails, betrays, abandons, deflates
- the dismal scienceNickname for economics
- dismal scienceNickname for economics
dismay, dismal, dismayed, dismaying, undismayed, dismayingly