DISMAYING

appalling, dismaying

(adjective) causing consternation; “appalling conditions”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Verb

dismaying

present participle of dismay

Source: Wiktionary


DISMAY

Dis*may", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dismayed; p. pr. & vb. n. Dismaying.] Etym: [OE. desmaien, dismaien, OF. esmaier; pref. es- (L. ex) + OHG. magan to be strong or able; akin to E. may. In English the pref. es- was changed to dis- (L. dis-). See May, v. i.]

1. To disable with alarm or apprehensions; to depress the spirits or courage of; to deprive or firmness and energy through fear; to daunt; to appall; to terrify. Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed. Josh. i. 9. What words be these What fears do you dismay Fairfax.

2. To render lifeless; to subdue; to disquiet. [Obs.] Do not dismay yourself for this. Spenser.

Syn.

– To terrify; fright; affright; frighten; appall; daunt; dishearthen; dispirit; discourage; deject; depress.

– To Dismay, Daunt, Appall. Dismay denotes a state of deep and gloomy apprehension. To daunt supposes something more sudden and startling. To appall is the strongest term, implying a sense of terror which overwhelms the faculties. So flies a herd of beeves, that hear, dismayed, The lions roaring through the midnight shade. Pope. Jove got such heroes as my sire, whose soul No fear could daunt, nor earth nor hell control. Pope. Now the last ruin the whole host appalls; Now Greece has trembled in her wooden walls. Pope.

Dis*may", v. i.

Definition: To take dismay or fright; to be filled with dismay. [Obs.] Shak.

Dis*may", n. Etym: [Cf. OF. esmai, F. émoi. See Dismay, v. t.]

1. Loss of courage and firmness through fear; overwhelming and disabling terror; a sinking of the spirits; consternation. I . . . can not think of such a battle without dismay. Macaulay. Thou with a tiger spring dost leap upon thy prey, And tear his helpless breast, o'erwhelmed with wild dismay. Mrs. Barbauld.

2. Condition fitted to dismay; ruin. Spenser.

Syn.

– Dejection; discouragement; depression; fear; fright; terror; apprehension; alarm; affright.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

14 June 2025

FELLOW

(noun) a member of a learned society; “he was elected a fellow of the American Physiological Association”


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Coffee Trivia

The first coffee-house in Mecca dates back to the 1510s. The beverage was in Turkey by the 1530s. It appeared in Europe circa 1515-1519 and was introduced to England by 1650. By 1675 the country had more than 3,000 coffee houses, and coffee had replaced beer as a breakfast drink.

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