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Dismay

//dɪsˈmeɪ// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    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 uncountable

    "He looked in dismay at the destruction of the town caused by the hurricane."

  2. 2
    fear resulting from the awareness of danger wordnet
  3. 3
    Condition fitted to dismay; ruin. uncountable
  4. 4
    the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    To cause to feel apprehension; great sadness, or fear; to deprive of energy.

    "Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed."

  2. 2
    fill with apprehension or alarm; cause to be unpleasantly surprised wordnet
  3. 3
    To render lifeless; to subdue; to disquiet.

    "Do not dismay yourself for this."

  4. 4
    lower someone's spirits; make downhearted wordnet
  5. 5
    To take dismay or fright; to be filled with dismay.

    "Dismay not, princes, at this accident,"

Etymology

Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

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.

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