disillusion

1 of 2

noun

dis·​il·​lu·​sion ˌdis-ə-ˈlü-zhən How to pronounce disillusion (audio)
: the condition of being disenchanted : the condition of being dissatisfied or defeated in expectation or hope
suffered romantic disillusions

disillusion

2 of 2

verb

disillusioned; disillusioning ˌdis-ə-ˈlü-zhə-niŋ How to pronounce disillusion (audio)

transitive verb

: to free from illusion
also : to cause to lose naive faith and trust
The job disillusioned her about working in retail.
disillusionment noun

Examples of disillusion in a Sentence

Verb Working at that store for six months was enough to disillusion me about retail work. we were disillusioned when we saw how the movie star acted in real life
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Already primed for corporate disillusion thanks to the pandemic, Gen Z is not only watching people their age be let go, but also peers senior to them who have spent decades with a company. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2024 Yet growing disillusion with Hamas’ rule is impacting the group’s future prospects each day the war goes on, as residents see it as unresponsive, irresponsible, and lacking basic care for Gaza’s people. Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Mar. 2024 Yet an ethos of pure expediency is fraught with dangers, from domestic disillusion to the loss of the moral asymmetry that has long amplified U.S. influence in global affairs. Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 Illusion mixed with disillusion can be more intoxicating than either. Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023 The collapse of the U.S.-led peace process, the intensifying Israeli occupation and the aging leadership of the Palestinian Authority have fueled widespread anger and disillusion across the West Bank, allowing new militant groups to rise to prominence. Miriam Berger, Washington Post, 13 Oct. 2023 Coaches across the City said that the lack of care is another sign of a lack of support that disillusions prospective parents, which leads to enrollment somewhere else. Luca Evans, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2023 That Jackson, a 66-year-old Dothan native who has seen enough politics to drive most people to despair and disillusion, believed it all along. John Archibald | Jarchibald@al.com, al, 13 June 2023 Each succeeding decade has come to an end with its own record of disillusion and bewilderment. Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 2 June 2023
Verb
Black turnout had waned significantly since the highs of former President Barack Obama’s historic presidency, with low-propensity voters — those less likely to vote — and infrequent voters increasingly disillusioned by and disconnected to politics. Darrell Smith, Sacramento Bee, 5 Mar. 2024 Each chapter of the decades-spanning love story checks in on aimless posh boy Dexter Mayhew (Woodall) and disillusioned go-getter Emma Morley (Ambika Mod) on the same day from 1988 to 2007. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 8 Feb. 2024 Her followers include fans of her books, disillusioned Democrats and some former Bernie Sanders supporters. Faith E. Pinho, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2024 Many of the protests across Europe are driven by smaller farmers, disillusioned at national and EU agricultural policy, together with the purchasing power of large super market chains and the political power of ‘large’ farmer groups. Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 While Zelenskyy’s approval ratings have slipped as many Ukrainians have grown disillusioned with the prolonged state of war, Zaluzhnyi, who rarely speaks in public, remains popular with the public and the military. Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 8 Feb. 2024 But after revelations emerged the 2016 video that launched Tesla’s ambitions was dishonestly staged, customers have grown increasingly disillusioned that Musk will ever deliver on his promise. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2024 McConnell survived a leadership challenge after the 2022 midterm elections, overcoming opposition from a group of conservatives disillusioned with his stewardship of the GOP conference. Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2024 Americans have seemingly become increasingly disillusioned by their jobs over the past couple of years. Bychloe Berger, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1591, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1855, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disillusion was in 1591

Dictionary Entries Near disillusion

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

disillusion

verb
dis·​il·​lu·​sion
ˌdis-ə-ˈlü-zhən
disillusioned; disillusioning
-ˈlüzh-(ə-)niŋ
: to free from mistaken beliefs or foolish hopes
a loss that disillusioned the fans
disillusionment
-ˈlü-zhən-mənt
noun

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