Definition

1. Verb:
   • To cause someone to lose enthusiasm, hope, or confidence; to make someone feel disheartened or downcast. The action of lowering someone's spirits or morale.

Usage

• Transitive verb: Always takes a direct object (the person whose spirits are lowered).
  • The constant criticism began to dispirit the team.
  • Bad news can easily dispirit even the most optimistic person.

Examples

• The team's third consecutive loss served to dispirit the players.
• She tried not to let the negative feedback dispirit her.
• His gloomy predictions dispirited everyone in the room.

Advanced Usage

• "To be dispirited" (Adjectival past participle): Describes the state of feeling disheartened.
  • After the failed attempt, the explorers were visibly dispirited.
• "Dispiriting" (Adjectival present participle): Describes something that causes a loss of spirit.
  • The dispiriting weather matched our gloomy mood.

Variants and Related Words

• Dispiritedly (adverb): In a disheartened manner.
  • He sighed dispiritedly.
• Dispiritedness (noun): The state of being dispirited.
  • A sense of dispiritedness hung over the office.

Synonyms

• Discourage: To deprive of courage or confidence.
• Demoralize: To undermine the confidence or morale of.
• Dishearten: To cause to lose determination or hope.
• Deflate: To cause to feel suddenly dispirited or less confident.

Antonyms

• Encourage: To give support, confidence, or hope.
• Inspirit (archaic): To fill with spirit or animation; to encourage.
• Hearten: To make more cheerful or confident.

Notes on Meaning

• Nuance: "Dispirit" often implies a gradual or sustained lowering of spirits, rather than a single, sharp disappointment. It suggests a draining of energy and hopefulness.
• Formality: The word is more common in formal or literary contexts than in casual speech.

Verb

1. lower someone's spirits; make downhearted
   • These news depressed her
   • The bad state of her child's health demoralizes her