dismay means A sudden or complete loss of courage and firmness in the face of trouble or danger; overwhelming and disabling terror; a sinking of the spirits. It carries an Arena rating of 1500, earned across 2 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, dismay ranks #2,340 of 14,361 for Most Ingenious Words, #2,592 of 14,423 for Most Sublime Words, #4,508 of 14,340 for Most Vivid Words, #7,084 of 14,414 for Most Elegant Words.
dismay is pronounced /dɪsˈmeɪ/.
Why “dismay” is a great word
A sudden loss of courage or resolution in the face of trouble, or the act of causing such alarm. From Middle English dismayen, from Anglo-Norman *desmaiier, an alteration of Old French esmaier ("to frighten"), from Vulgar Latin *exmagare ("to deprive of strength"), from Latin ex- ("out of") + a root from Proto-Germanic *maginą ("might, power"). Unlike "fear," a general response to danger, or "disappointment," a sadness for unmet hopes, dismay is the cold sip of realization that follows the shattering event. It is the architect watching the blueprint curl and blacken in the fire, the surgeon's hand freezing at the unexpected hemorrhage, the hollow in the stomach upon reading the final, irrevocable line—the specific moment when the will to proceed is quietly, decisively, extinguished.
Etymology
From Middle English dismayen, from Anglo-Norman *desmaiier, alteration of Old French esmaier (“to frighten”), probably from Vulgar Latin *exmagare (“to deprive (someone) of strength, to disable”), from ex- + *magare (“to enable, empower”), from Proto-Germanic *maginą, *maganą (“might, power”), from Proto-Indo-European *megʰ- (“to be able”).
Akin to Old High German magan, megin (“power, might, main”), Old English mæġen (“might, main”), Old High German magan, mugan (“to be powerful, able”), Old English magan (“to be able”). Cognate with Portuguese desmaiar (“to faint”) and Spanish esmayar. See also Portuguese esmagar, Spanish amagar. More at main, may.
noun
- A sudden or complete loss of courage and firmness in the face of trouble or danger; overwhelming and disabling terror; a sinking of the spirits“He looked in dismay at the destruction of the town caused by the hurricane.”
- Condition fitted to dismay; ruin.
verb
- To cause to feel apprehension; great sadness, or fear; to deprive of energy.“Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed.”
- To render lifeless; to subdue; to disquiet.“Do not dismay yourself for this.”
- To take dismay or fright; to be filled with dismay.“Dismay not, princes, at this accident,”
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- consternation 88% match — Amazement or horror that confounds the faculties, and incapacitates for reflection; terror, combined with amazement; dismay. vs dismay →
- dismal 88% match — Disastrous, calamitous. vs dismay →
- affright 87% match — Great fear, terror, fright. vs dismay →
- despairing 86% match — Feeling, expressing, or caused by despair; hopeless. vs dismay →
- forlorn 86% match — Abandoned, deserted, left behind. vs dismay →
- disconcert 86% match — To upset the composure of; to startle. vs dismay →
- despond 86% match — To give up the will, courage, or spirit; to become dejected, lose heart. vs dismay →
- angst 86% match — Emotional turmoil; painful sadness; anguish. vs dismay →