disillusioned

IPA/ˌdɪsɪˈluːʒnd/
KK[dˌɪsɪlˈuʒənd]IPA/ˌdɪsɪˈluːʒnd/

disillusioned — adjective

  • disillusionedpositive
  • more disillusionedcomparative
  • most disillusionedsuperlative

1. feeling disappointed and no longer able to admire or trust someone or something

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

feeling disappointed and no longer able to admire or trust someone or something after learning what they are really like.

Example

After the leaked emails, Dario felt disillusioned with the student union.

be disillusioned with + institution

Hari grew disillusioned by the charity when managers ignored the shelter workers.

grow disillusioned by + behavior

Common collocations
  • deeply disillusioned
  • politically disillusioned
  • disillusioned with leadership
  • disillusioned by corruption
  • disillusioned about the future
Synonyms
  • disenchanted

    very close, but slightly more literary and sometimes less emotionally sharp

  • disappointed

    weaker; you can be disappointed without losing trust or admiration

  • cynical

    stronger and broader; often suggests a lasting distrust of people or systems

Antonyms
  • hopeful

    still expecting something or someone to turn out well

  • inspired

    suggests renewed admiration or belief rather than broken trust

Grammar Patterns

be disillusioned with + [person, institution, or idea]

be disillusioned by + [event or behavior]

be disillusioned about + [future or career]

Usage Note

Usually follows verbs like be, feel, become, grow, or sound, and often takes with, by, or about to name the person, group, or ideal that has lost your trust. It is stronger than disappointed because it suggests earlier respect or hope has been broken.

Common Mistakes

I was disillusioned because the bus was late.
I was disappointed because the bus was late.
'disillusioned' is used for losing faith in a person, system, or ideal, not for an ordinary inconvenience.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Disillusioned is stronger than disappointed. If your train is late, you may feel disappointed, but you become disillusioned when facts destroy the good image you once had of a person, group, or cause. Disenchanted is very close, though it often sounds a little more literary and can suggest that attraction has faded rather than trust being broken. Cynical goes further: it describes a habit of expecting selfish or dishonest behavior, often after repeated bad experiences. A volunteer can feel disappointed by one cancelled meeting, disillusioned after learning the charity hid its accounts, and cynical if she then assumes every charity is corrupt.

disillusioned ↗disappointed ↗disenchanted ↗cynical ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • deeply disillusioned
  • increasingly disillusioned
  • bitterly disillusioned

Phrases

  • become disillusioned with
  • grow disillusioned by
  • feel disillusioned about the future

Prepositions

  • disillusioned with
  • disillusioned by
  • disillusioned about

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Disillusioned is built from the verb disillusion plus the adjective ending -ed. English took disillusion from French forms based on illusion, and illusion goes back to Latin roots connected with mocking or deceiving. The adjective therefore describes the state of someone whose attractive picture of a person, institution, or belief has been stripped away.

First known use

1858

1858, in the meaning defined above