disappoint means to sadden or displease (someone) by underperforming, or by not delivering something promised or hoped for.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, disappoint ranks #6,388 of 42,747 for Qualifying.
disappoint is pronounced /dɪsəˈpɔɪnt/.
Etymology
From Middle French desapointer (compare French désappointer). The word originally meant to "dispossess of appointed office", and eventually broadened to mean "to frustrate the expectations or desires of" and "defeat the realization or fulfillment of".
verb
- To sadden or displease (someone) by underperforming, or by not delivering something promised or hoped for.e.g.“His lack of respect disappointed her.”
- To deprive (someone of something expected or hoped for).e.g.“They that haue money in their purse, are afrayde and in doubte, yea and are continuallye martyred with feare, leaste GOD should disappoint them of their pray, and abate their portion.” — 1574, Arthur Golding, transl., Sermons of Master John Calvin, upon the Booke of Job, London: Lucas Harison and George Byshop, Sermon 32, p. 163:
- To fail to meet (an expectation); to fail to fulfil (a hope).
- To show (an opinion, belief, etc.) to be mistaken.e.g.“I am sure you will not disappoint my opinion of you, by failing at any time to treat your aunt Norris with the respect and attention that are due to her.” — 1814 May 9, [Jane Austen], chapter I, in Mansfield Park: […], volume III, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, page 6:
- To prevent (something planned or attempted).e.g.“He [God] disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.” — 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Job 5:12:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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