disappoint

present singular third person disappoints · participle present disappointing · participle past disappointed · past disappointed

1. transitiveTo sadden or displease (someone) by underperforming, or by not delivering something promised or hoped for.

   His lack of respect disappointed her.

   3 more examples

   I was disappointed by last year’s revenue.

   Here are officers enough at Meryton to disappoint all the young ladies in the country.

   1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], chapter 1, in Pride and Prejudice: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, page 12

   My father liked his rice light and fluffy, but separate. […] Since he’d gone so long without a taste, the possibility of disappointing him weighed heavily on my mother.

   2007, Edwidge Danticat, Brother, I’m Dying, New York: Knopf, Part 2, “Transition,”

2. transitiveTo deprive (someone of something expected or hoped for).

   1637, Thomas Killigrew, The Parson’s Wedding, Act V, Scene 4, in Comedies and Tragedies, London: Henry Herringman, 1664, p. 152, Bless me from an old waiting-womans wrath; she’l never forgive me the disappointing her of a promise when I was drunk;

   5 more examples

   They that haue money in their purse, are afrayde and in doubte, yea and are continuallye martyred with feare, leaste GOD should disappoint them of their pray, and abate their portion.

   1574, Arthur Golding, transl., Sermons of Master John Calvin, upon the Booke of Job, London: Lucas Harison and George Byshop, Sermon 32, p. 163

   1707, extract from Lord Caryll’s letters, in James Macpherson (ed.), Original Papers: containing the secret history of Great Britain, from the restoration, to the accession of the House of Hannover, London: W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1775, Volume 2, p. 86, You tell me, that the hasty departure of Mr. Rysehoven [Marlborough] out of town disappointed you of speaking to him, of which the loss, I think, is not very great;

   Miss Courteney […] sat down again, tho’ with some reluctance, telling his lordship that she would not be the means of disappointing him of his coffee; but that she must insist upon being permitted to withdraw in half an hour, having business of consequence upon her hands.

   1758, Charlotte Lennox, Henrietta, London: A. Millar, Volume 1, Book 2, Chapter 8, p. 178

   […] you shan’t be disappointed of a wedding—you shall come to mine.

   1885, W[illiam] S[chwenck] Gilbert; Arthur Sullivan, composer, […] The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu, London: Chappel & Co., […], →OCLC, Act II, page 32

   Disappointed of immediate promotion he was now more … well, relaxed […]

   2000, Alan Bennett, “The Laying On of Hands”, in The Laying On of Hands: Stories, New York: Picador, published 2002, page 94

3. datedtransitiveTo fail to meet (an expectation); to fail to fulfil (a hope).

   “But perhaps your accommodations—your cottage—your furniture—have disappointed your expectations?”

   1847 October 16, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], chapter V, in Jane Eyre. […], volume III, London: Smith, Elder, and Co., […], →OCLC, page 122

   4 more examples

   1751, Samuel Johnson, The Rambler, No. 127, 4 June, 1751, Volume 4, London: J. Payne and J. Bouquet, 1752, pp. 240-241, It is not uncommon for those who at their first entrance into the world were distinguished for eminent attainments or superior abilities, to disappoint the hopes which they had raised, and to end in neglect and obscurity that life which they began in celebrity and honour.

   […] his life was despaired of; and all Japan was filled with alarm and apprehension at the prospect of an infant’s ascending the throne: […] Their fears, however, were happily disappointed by the recovery of the emperor,

   1769, Tobias Smollett, The History and Adventures of an Atom, volume 2, London: Robinson and Roberts, pages 165–166

   The boy’s confidence in her hospitality touched Mrs. Bhaer, and she could not find the heart to disappoint his hope, and spoil his kind little plan […]

   1871, Louisa M[ay] Alcott, chapter 6, in Little Men: […], Boston, Mass.: Roberts Brothers, →OCLC, page 90

   […] a change in prices and rewards, as measured in money, generally affects different classes unequally […] and redistributes Fortune’s favours so as to frustrate design and disappoint expectation.

   1923, John Maynard Keynes, “Social Consequences of Changes in the Value of Money”, in Essays in Persuasion, London: Macmillan, published 1933, pages 80–81

4. datedtransitiveTo show (an opinion, belief, etc.) to be mistaken.

   “Well, I thought it was too good to be true,” he said at last, with a sigh of disappointed conviction.

   1909, Lucy Maud Montgomery, “Chapter 14”, in Anne of Avonlea, Boston: L. C. Page, page 150

   1 more example

   I am sure you will not disappoint my opinion of you, by failing at any time to treat your aunt Norris with the respect and attention that are due to her.

   1814 May 9, [Jane Austen], chapter I, in Mansfield Park: […], volume III, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, page 6

5. obsoletetransitiveTo prevent (something planned or attempted).

   The wary Trojan shrinks, and bending low Beneath his Buckler, disappoints the Blow.

   1716, Homer, “Book VII”, in Alexander Pope, transl., The Iliad of Homer, volume II, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC, page 201

   2 more examples

   He [God] disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Job 5:12

   But heavy rains, the difficulties of the country, and the good intelligence which the Outlaw was always supplied with, disappointed their well-concerted combination.

   1817 December 1, [Walter Scott], Rob Roy. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co. […]; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, published 31 December 1817 (indicated as 1818), →OCLC, page lxiii

   Synonyms: frustrate, thwart

6. nonstandardobsoleteraretransitiveTo dispossess (someone) of an office.First known use 1434

   [V]ersus the earlier one[s] who become hereditary sheriffs, the new ones were appointed and disappointed at the whim of the King.

   1996 September 8, Morgoth, “Sheriff”, in rec.org.sca (Usenet)

   3 more examples

   [W]e may comprehend [regal rights] vnder eight ſoueraigne marks: namely, […] to appoint or to diſappoint the greateſt officers: […]

   1586, Peter de la Primaudaye, translated by T[homas] B[owes], “The Fifteenth Daies Worke. Of a Monarchie, or a Regall Power.”, in The French Academie, […], London: […] Edmund Bollifant for G[eorge] Bishop and Ralph Newbery, →OCLC, page 617

   If members, and potential members, could see how the organization is organized, how Directors are appointed, and disappointed, it would go a long way toward helping people have a better understanding of NCI and its activities.

   1999 October 26, W1RFI, “Better written tests? (was Re: FAA vs FCC licensing)”, in rec.radio.amateur.policy (Usenet)

   The American model was based on British government *as of the time of the US Constitution*. At the time, the king retained much political power and was the head of the executive; the power had for centuries been exercised via ministers, but the king appointed and disappointed the ministers at his pleasure.

   2011 June 7, Tim McDaniel, “Alsatian vs German Shepherd”, in alt.usage.english (Usenet)