dismay
verb
- bewilder with disappointment
noun
- feeling of unhappiness and disappointment
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /dɪsˈmeɪ/
noun
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.
- 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.”
“Come on: in this there can be no dismay; My ships come home a month before the day.”
- Condition fitted to dismay; ruin.
verb
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.
- To cause to feel apprehension; great sadness, or fear; to deprive of energy.
“Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed.”
“What words be these? What fears do you dismay?”
- 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,”