Meaning & use

disillusionment

noun·Advanced

A feeling of disappointment that follows discovering something is not as good as previously believed.

See it in a sentence

His disillusionment with politics grew after years of broken promises.

Working there brought a slow disillusionment as the glamorous job became routine.

A note on using this word

Disillusionment implies losing an earlier, often idealistic belief, unlike simple disappointment, which can follow any unmet expectation.

Words with a similar meaning

disenchantment

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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