crestfallen
/ˈkɹɛstfɔːlən/
crestfallen means sad because of a disappointment.
crestfallen is pronounced /ˈkɹɛstfɔːlən/.
Why “crestfallen” is a great word
Despondent due to failure or dashed hopes, with the particular quality of visible defeat. From crest (the comb or tuft on an animal's head, especially a horse) + fallen, from the visual image of a defeated horse or fighting cock with its head and crest drooping; first attested in the late 1500s. Unlike dejected, which names a general condition of low spirits without the bodily metaphor, or melancholy, which suggests a brooding, philosophical sorrow, crestfallen is a portrait of sudden, physical collapse: the sag of shoulders at bad news, the dropped gaze of a defeated athlete, the unmistakable slump of a child whose sandcastle is washed away—the body itself mourning before the mind has words for it.
Etymology
From crest + fallen, from the appearance of a horse with its crest (head) on its chest after defeat in a battle.
adj
- Sad because of a disappointment.e.g.“Tom's cheeks burned. He gathered himself up and sneaked off, crushed and crestfallen.”
- Having the crest, or upper part of the neck, hanging to one side.
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- downcast 87% match — Of the eyes, a facial expression, etc.: looking downwards, usually as a sign of discouragement, sadness, etc., or sometimes modesty. vs crestfallen →
- despond 86% match — To give up the will, courage, or spirit; to become dejected, lose heart. vs crestfallen →
- forlorn 85% match — Abandoned, deserted, left behind. vs crestfallen →
- heartbreak 85% match — Overwhelming mental anguish or grief, especially that caused by loss or disappointment. vs crestfallen →
- disconsolate 84% match — Cheerless, dreary. vs crestfallen →
- heartsore 84% match — Heartsick. vs crestfallen →
- tristfulness 83% match — sadness; sorrow; melancholy vs crestfallen →
- chagrin 83% match — A distress of mind caused by a failure of aims or plans, a want of appreciation, mistakes, etc.; vexation or mortification. vs crestfallen →