dismay
part of speech
noun (dismay — uncountable); verb (dismay, dismays, dismayed, dismaying); adjective dismayed
meaning for a pupil
1) Dismay is a sudden sad, worried feeling when something bad or disappointing happens. tree →
2) To dismay someone is to make them feel shocked and upset. tree →
3) (formal) To someone's dismay means «and they were upset that». tree →
sense in the lessons
In the Tanakh and Jewish tradition: In the Torah, "be not dismayed" is God's comfort to Israel and Joshua, telling them not to lose heart when they enter the land. Interpretation: Moses' words are read as a call to trust in God's presence at the start of the conquest. In the primary lessons: A feelings word in stories: it tells the reader a character has just had bad news or a nasty surprise, often with a falling heart. In news and formal writing «to the dismay of fans». Phrases: in dismay, to my dismay, filled with dismay, dismayed by.
examples
- And the LORD, He it is that doth go before thee; He will be with thee, He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee; fear not, neither be dismayed.' (Torah DEU.31.8, JPS 1917) tree →
- Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee; go up, take possession, as the LORD, the God of thy fathers, hath spoken unto thee; fear not, neither be dismayed.' (Torah DEU.1.21, JPS 1917) tree →
- In his neck abideth strength, and dismay danceth before him. (Writings JOB.41.14, JPS 1917) tree →
- And they shall be dismayed and ashamed, because of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory. (Prophets ISA.20.5, JPS 1917) tree →
- For through the voice of the LORD shall Asshur be dismayed, the rod with which He smote. (Prophets ISA.30.31, JPS 1917) tree →
- To my dismay, the ice cream van had gone. tree →
- She stared in dismay at the broken vase. tree →
- The rain dismayed everyone at the sports day. tree →
- He was dismayed to find his homework was missing. tree →
- The fans groaned in dismay as the ball hit the post. tree →
- Much to our dismay, the trip was cancelled. tree →
- The teacher was dismayed by the mess in the classroom. tree →
- But I have eaten it!” exclaimed the baker in dismay. tree →
note
Dismay is uncountable (no «a dismay»). Dismayed is used with «by», «at» or «to + verb». It is stronger than disappointment but weaker than horror. Not a «dis-» opposite of «may».
In the corpora
- And when Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.
- And they shall be dismayed and ashamed, because of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory.
- For through the voice of the LORD shall Asshur be dismayed, the rod with which He smote.
- In his neck abideth strength, and dismay danceth before him.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «dismay» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.