disappoint
dih-suh-POYNT
Disappoint (verb) means to make someone feel let down by failing to meet their hopes or expectations. Example: “The sequel disappointed fans of the original film.”
verb
1
To make someone feel let down by failing to meet their hopes or expectations.
"The sequel disappointed fans of the original film."
"I hate to disappoint you, but the concert has been cancelled."
"I didn't want to disappoint my parents on exam day."
2
To fail to fulfil a plan, hope, or expectation.
"Their hopes for a comeback were disappointed in the final quarter."
"The poor harvest disappointed the farmer's hopes of a good year."
"Their plans for a picnic were disappointed by heavy rain."
How to use disappoint
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo let someone down by not living up to what they hoped for.
Common pairings
disappoint fans
sorry to disappoint
disappoint expectations
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Word forms
- Third person singular
- disappoints
- Past tense
- disappointed
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The sequel _____ fans of the original film.
Etymology
From Middle French desapointer, which originally meant to remove someone from an appointed office, later broadening to "frustrate someone's expectations."
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for disappoint
point
joint
anoint
appoint
endpoint
pinpoint
gunpoint
viewpoint
standpoint
PowerPoint
checkpoint
needlepoint
See all rhymes for disappoint →
Frequently asked questions
What does “disappoint” mean?
The word “disappoint” means to make someone feel let down by failing to meet their hopes or expectations. In plain terms, to let someone down by not living up to what they hoped for.
How do you pronounce “disappoint”?
“Disappoint” is pronounced dih-suh-POYNT (/ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪnt/ in IPA).
How do you use “disappoint” in a sentence?
Here is “disappoint” used in a sentence: “The sequel disappointed fans of the original film.”
What is the opposite of “disappoint”?
The opposite of “disappoint” — its antonyms — is satisfy.
What part of speech is “disappoint”?
“Disappoint” is a verb.
Where does the word “disappoint” come from?
The word “disappoint” comes from Middle French. From Middle French desapointer, which originally meant to remove someone from an appointed office, later broadening to "frustrate someone's expectations.".
Is “disappoint” a common word?
“Disappoint” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “disappoint” have?
“Disappoint” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to make someone feel let down by failing to meet their hopes or expectations.
What is the difference between disappoint and fail?
Disappoint focuses on the emotional effect of not meeting someone's hopes or expectations, while fail more broadly describes not achieving a goal or standard, whether or not anyone's feelings are involved. A team can fail to win a match, which may also disappoint its fans.
Is disappoint typically used with a person or a plan as the object?
Disappoint can take either a person as its object, as in the results disappointed the fans, or a plan, hope, or expectation, as in the trip disappointed our expectations for good weather. Both uses share the core sense of falling short of what was hoped for.
What is a common mistake when using disappoint with prepositions?
A common mistake is saying disappointed from instead of the correct disappointed by or disappointed with, as in disappointed by the outcome or disappointed with the service. Learners of English sometimes incorrectly transfer prepositions from other languages.
