Meaning & use
disenchanted
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Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
No longer believing that someone or something is as good as you once thought.
Grammar: Used after a linking verb like be, become, or grow, and usually followed by with: She became disenchanted with the idea.
Patterns
- disenchanted with someone
- disenchanted with something
- become disenchanted
- grow disenchanted
After years of broken promises, voters grew disenchanted with the party.
He became disenchanted with his job and started looking for something new.
Many young people are disenchanted with politics and no longer vote.
adjectivenot comparable
Having lost the pleasant feeling of wonder or magic that something once gave you.
Grammar: Often used before a noun to describe a person or group who has lost their earlier enthusiasm: a disenchanted fan.
Patterns
- a disenchanted fan
- a disenchanted voter
- feel disenchanted
The once-enthusiastic fan now felt disenchanted with the whole sport.
She returned from the trip disenchanted, as the city was not as beautiful as she had imagined.
Common combinations
- disenchanted with
- He is disenchanted with the way the company is run.
- become disenchanted
- She became disenchanted after her third complaint was ignored.
- grow disenchanted
- Over time, the public grew disenchanted with the mayor.
- deeply disenchanted
- Many workers are deeply disenchanted with their pay and conditions.
- disenchanted voter
- The party is trying to win back disenchanted voters.
Synonyms and how they differ
- disillusioned
- Very close in meaning, but often used when a specific belief has been proved false; disenchanted is more about losing general admiration.
- disappointed
- Weaker and more temporary: you can be disappointed by one event, but disenchanted suggests a lasting loss of faith.
- cynical
- Stronger and more negative: a cynical person expects the worst, while a disenchanted person has simply stopped admiring.
Opposites
Word family
- disenchantment noun
- The feeling of being disenchanted.
- disenchant verb
- To make someone lose their belief or admiration.
Commonly confused: disenchanted or discontented?
disenchanted vs discontented
Discontented means unhappy with your situation, often for practical reasons; disenchanted means you have lost belief in something you once admired.
Practice
After the scandal, many supporters became disenchanted ___ the charity.
Choose one answer.
Disenchanted is followed by with: disenchanted with the charity. Of, for, and by do not fit this pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “disenchanted”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.