disappoint

verb

dis·​ap·​point ˌdis-ə-ˈpȯint How to pronounce disappoint (audio)
disappointed; disappointing; disappoints

transitive verb

: to fail to meet the expectation or hope of : frustrate
the team disappointed its fans
He disappointed his parents with his decision.

intransitive verb

: to fail to meet a hope or expectation : to cause disappointment
where the show disappoints most is in the work of the younger generationJohn Ashbery

Examples of disappoint in a Sentence

The team disappointed its fans. The show may disappoint some viewers. The novel disappoints by being predictable and overly long.
Recent Examples on the Web For me the number one goal is giving my all to my fans, surprising them and never disappointing them. Boris Sollazzo, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Mar. 2024 Last night, the 96th annual Academy Awards capped off awards season at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles and the Oscars red carpet did not disappoint. Vogue, 11 Mar. 2024 The 2024 Oscars didn't disappoint from the moment stars started stepping foot on the red carpet to Oppenheimer's Best Picture win to close out the show. Jackie Fields, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 Leslie Cushman, policy lead for the Washington Coalition for Police Accountability, which organized in 2020 after Floyd’s death, said the group is disappointed by the rollback but encouraged that the legislature also provided for funds to study the outcomes of police chases. Tom Jackman, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2024 The first 24 hours of Ulta Beauty's major savings event definitely won't disappoint you. Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 8 Mar. 2024 At a Friday morning news conference, Turner said he was disappointed the case would not move forward and sworn testimony would not be taken by the political appointees. Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2024 Kaldor was disappointed by the company’s decision to leave Sacramento early last year. Ari Plachta, Sacramento Bee, 7 Mar. 2024 Fury of the Gods and The Marvels were among those that disappointed, leading to Marvel and DC having to regroup. Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Mar. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Middle English disapointen to dispossess, from Middle French desapointer, from des- dis- + appointer to arrange — more at appoint

First Known Use

circa 1513, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of disappoint was circa 1513

Dictionary Entries Near disappoint

Cite this Entry

“Disappoint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disappoint. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

disappoint

verb
dis·​ap·​point ˌdis-ə-ˈpȯint How to pronounce disappoint (audio)
: to fail to meet the expectation or hope of
the team disappointed its fans

More from Merriam-Webster on disappoint

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