down-hearted
Definition
- Adjective:
- Feeling discouraged or dejected: "down-hearted" describes a state of low spirits, loss of hope, or sadness, often due to disappointment or failure.
Usage Examples
- (They were discouraged and dejected.)
- (She felt sad and hopeless.)
Advanced Usage
- "to be down-hearted about something": to feel discouraged or depressed regarding a specific situation.
- He was down-hearted about his poor exam results. (He felt low-spirited because of the outcome.)
Variants and Related Words
Downheartedness (noun): the state or quality of being down-hearted.
- Her downheartedness was evident in her silence. (Her feeling of discouragement was obvious.)
Downheartedly (adverb): in a down-hearted manner.
- He sighed downheartedly as he left the room. (He sighed in a discouraged way.)
Synonyms
- Dejected: sad and depressed; dispirited.
- Disheartened: having lost determination or hope.
- Discouraged: having lost confidence or enthusiasm.
- Dispirited: having lost spirit or morale.
Related Idioms
"down in the dumps": feeling very sad or depressed.
- She's been down in the dumps ever since she lost her job. (She feels down-hearted and low.)
"in low spirits": feeling unhappy or discouraged.
- The bad news left him in low spirits. (He felt down-hearted.)