disappointment

/ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntmənt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntmənt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌdis-ə-ˈpȯint-mənt/ (ame, mw)

disappointment — noun

  • disappointmentsingular
  • disappointmentsplural

1. the sad or unhappy feeling you have when something does not happen the way you w

1.名詞B1
釋義

the sad or unhappy feeling you have when something does not happen the way you wanted or expected it to

例句

Yuki tried hard to hide her disappointment when she did not get the job.

hide + disappointment (suppressing emotion)

To the children's great disappointment, the school trip was cancelled because of the storm.

to [someone]'s great disappointment (phrase structure)

同義詞
  • frustration

    stronger and includes a sense of being blocked or annoyed, while disappointment is more about sadness from unmet hopes

  • dissatisfaction

    milder and more ongoing; disappointment is tied to a specific expectation that failed

  • letdown

    informal; refers more to the feeling after an event rather than a general emotion

  • regret

    focuses on wishing you had acted differently, not on an external hope that failed

反義詞
  • satisfaction

    the positive feeling when hopes are met

  • delight

    a much stronger positive feeling of great pleasure

文法句型

[possessive] + disappointment

to [someone]'s disappointment

disappointment + at/with/over/about [something]

用法筆記

Usually uncountable. Frequently appears in the fixed phrase 'to someone's disappointment' and with intensifiers such as 'great', 'deep', 'bitter', 'sharp', and 'huge'.

常見錯誤

❌The news brought me a disappointment.' (when referring to the general feeling)
✅The news brought me disappointment.
💡In sense 1, 'disappointment' is uncountable and does not take the article 'a'.
❌She expressed her disappoint about the result.
✅She expressed her disappointment about the result.
💡'Disappoint' is a verb; the correct noun form is 'disappointment'.

2. a person, event, or thing that makes you feel sad because it falls short of what

2.名詞B1
釋義

a person, event, or thing that makes you feel sad because it falls short of what you wanted or believed it would be

例句

The new restaurant was a disappointment — the food arrived cold and the service was slow.

[noun] + was a disappointment (linking structure)

Owen said his son's behaviour at dinner was a disappointment to the whole family.

a disappointment to [someone] (target of feeling)

同義詞
  • letdown

    informal; almost always about an event or thing, rarely about a person

  • failure

    broader and stronger; a failure does not necessarily involve someone's prior hopes

  • flop

    informal; specifically used for entertainment products (films, shows, books) that performed poorly

反義詞
  • success

    a person or thing that meets or exceeds expectations

  • pleasure

    a person or thing that gives joy rather than sadness

文法句型

[noun/pronoun] + be + a + disappointment

a + disappointment + to [someone]

用法筆記

Countable — always requires an article (a / an) when singular. The subject is often an event, a performance, a product, or a person's behaviour. Can refer to both people ('He is a disappointment') and things ('The film was a disappointment').

常見錯誤

❌My son is disappointment to me.
✅My son is a disappointment to me.
💡In sense 2, 'disappointment' is countable and needs the article 'a'.
❌The movie was so disappoint.
✅The movie was so disappointing.' or 'The movie was such a disappointment.
💡Use the adjective 'disappointing' or the countable noun with an article, never the bare verb 'disappoint'.