dispirit

[dih-spir-it]

verb (used with object)

1. to deprive of spirit, hope, enthusiasm, etc.; depress; discourage; dishearten.

dispirit

/ dɪˈspɪrɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to lower the spirit or enthusiasm of; make downhearted or depressed; discourage

Word History and Origins

Origin of dispirit¹

First recorded in 1635–45; di- ² + spirit

Example Sentences

Before the series, in the wake of four consecutive dispiriting losses, Roberts called on his team to show more focus and urgency.

From Los Angeles Times

Skipper Harry Brook and Jacob Bethell continued the momentum as they peppered the boundary to finish unbeaten on 35 and 36 respectively, as a dispirited West Indies bowling attack ran out of ideas.

From BBC

But that only makes the faintheartedness of corporate America all the more dispiriting.

From Los Angeles Times

Whitman says current EPA employees are “dispirited and frustrated.”

From Salon

If the defeats in India were alarming, and losses to Australia and Afghanistan in Lahore dispiriting, the thrashing by South Africa in Karachi was the moment England's winter plunged to the depths.

From BBC

Related Words

• deject 
• demoralize 
• discourage 
• dishearten 
• sadden