# disappointment

/ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntmənt/ (US) · /dˌɪsɐpˈɔɪntmənt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/disappointment
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. the feeling of sadness

noun · CEFR B1

the sad feeling you have when something you wanted does not happen or is not as good as you expected.

For teachers: the emotional state of sadness or frustration arising from the failure of expectations to be realised.

- To my great disappointment, the concert was cancelled at the last minute.
- She struggled to hide her disappointment when the promotion she had worked toward for years was given to a less experienced colleague.

### 2. a person or thing that fails

noun · CEFR B1

a person, thing, or event that is not as good as you hoped it would be.

For teachers: a specific person, object, or event that fails to meet expectations or standards.

- The new movie was a huge disappointment after all the positive reviews.
- The seasonal harvest proved to be a bitter disappointment for the local farmers, yielding less than half of the projected crop.

Usage: In this sense, the noun is countable and usually follows 'be' or 'prove to be'.

## Examples

- The cancellation of the trip was a huge disappointment.
- She tried to hide her disappointment when she learned she didn't get the job after the final interview.
- The film's critical failure was a bitter disappointment to the director, who had spent years securing the necessary funding and assembling a world-class cast.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.