disappoint

verb

dis·​ap·​point ˌdis-ə-ˈpȯint 

disappointed; disappointing; disappoints

transitive verb

: to fail to meet the expectation or hope of : frustrate

The team disappointed its fans.

He disappointed his parents with his decision.

intransitive verb

: to fail to meet a hope or expectation : to cause disappointment

… where the show disappoints most is in the work of the younger generation.

—John Ashbery

Synonyms of disappoint

• fail
• cheat
• displease
• upset

Examples of disappoint in a Sentence

The team disappointed its fans.

The show may disappoint some viewers.

The novel disappoints by being predictable and overly long.

Recent Examples on the Web

Sidley partner Ruchun Ji told CNBC that such agreements can reduce risk for Big Pharma because licenses can be terminated if a drug disappoints or development priorities change. — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026

Picollo reiterated that the Royals weren’t disappointed in his performance. — Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026

When a result disappoints, organizations look for the department whose name appears closest to the metric. — Janita Pannu, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Okereke himself, who was the one called for the unnecessary roughness penalty, was disappointed but resolute postgame. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 28 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English disapointen to dispossess, from Middle French desapointer, from des- dis- + appointer to arrange — more at appoint

First Known Use

circa 1513, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for disappoint

• counterpoint
• multipoint
• needlepoint
• reappoint
• adjoint
• anoint
• appoint
• checkpoint
• conjoint
• disjoint
• endpoint
• gunpoint

Kids Definition

disappoint

verb

dis·​ap·​point ˌdis-ə-ˈpȯint 

: to fail to meet the expectation or hope of

the team disappointed its fans