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Glite Dictionary
dispiritingly

dispiritingly

1 7.7
In a way that makes people lose hope or confidence
  • adverb
  • /dɪsˈpɪrɪtɪŋli/
translation icon : desalentadoramente
  • Yet the case was otherwise dispiritingly similar to hundreds of others that had come before it—workers cheated, problem documented, complaint filed.

Examples

  • The brief's framing of the relationship between religion and the judiciary was dispiritingly consistent with the campaign rhetoric that had delivered the Bush administration to a second term just weeks before.

    Academic text (2005)

  • And while it's dispiritingly common in the current political climate to consider government, business, and social justice advocacy in opposition to one another, the reality is far more nuanced.

    Blog text (29)

  • DUBNER: People are always talking about the dispiritingly low voter turnout rate in the U.S.; it's less than 60 percent for a presidential election.

    Blog text (13)

  • The team's dispiritingly poor performance left the fans feeling hopeless about the season.

  • Many found the critics' dispiritingly negative reviews to be demoralizing.

  • The constant rain on vacation was dispiritingly disappointing for the family.

Synonyms

depressingly
vsdispiritingly
5 4.1

In a way that makes you feel sad or hopeless

causes loss of hope or confidence rather than only sadness
discouragingly
vsdispiritingly
1 5.6

In a way that makes people lose confidence or interest

adds a sense of lost hope as well as reduced confidence
dishearteningly
vsdispiritingly
1 7.4

In a way that makes you feel disappointed and lose hope

emphasizes loss of enthusiasm and hope rather than only disappointment
dismayingly
vsdispiritingly
1 7.5

In a way that makes people feel surprised and upset

focuses on long term loss of hope or confidence rather than shock

Antonyms

encouragingly
3 3.2

In a way that gives someone more confidence or hope

inspiringly
1 4.1

In a way that makes people feel hopeful and want to try

How Discouraging

dispiritingly
1 7.7

Surface Forms

dispiritingly positive

Morphology

dispiritingly = dispiriting (semi-transparent) = dis + spirit + ing + ly

The adverb is formed straightforwardly from the adjective 'dispiriting' with the standard adverbial suffix '-ly'.

Etymology

Dispiritingly comes from the parts dis- ('not') and spirit ('energy' or 'courage'), and it is related to inspire, which means 'to breathe life in'. So, to act dispiritingly is to take away someone's spirit or hope, which is why it means causing a loss of confidence or enthusiasm.