dismay

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A strong feeling of disappointment, sadness, or alarm.

   To her dismay, the train had already left the station.

2. 2
   verb

   To make someone feel disappointed, worried, or upset.

   The sudden rise in prices dismayed local shoppers.

From Middle English dismayen, from Anglo-Norman *desmaiier, alteration of Old French esmaier (“to frighten”), probably from Vulgar Latin *exmagare (“to deprive (someone) of strength, to disable”), from ex- + *magare (“to enable, empower”), from Proto-Germanic *maginą, *maganą (“might, power”), from Proto-Indo-European *megʰ- (“to be able”). Akin to Old High German magan, megin (“power, might, main”), Old English mæġen (“might, main”), Old High German magan, mugan (“to be powerful, able”), Old English magan (“to be able”). Cognate with Portuguese desmaiar (“to faint”) and Spanish esmayar. See a…

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