disillusioned
diss-ih-LOO-zhuhnd
/ˌdɪs.ɪˈluː.ʒənd/
Disappointed upon discovering that something is not as good or true as previously believed.
Focuses on the loss of idealist beliefs following contact with harsh reality.
The story behind the word. To illusion someone was to play a trick or conjure a magic fantasy before their eyes. Prefixing dis- literally strips away the magic spell. The term entered English in the mid-nineteenth century to describe the painful awakening when romantic idealizations shatter against reality.
Word relationships
- disenchanted: Disenchanted stresses loss of charm or magic appeal, whereas disillusioned stresses loss of truth.
- embittered: Embittered adds anger and resentment to disappointment, while disillusioned emphasizes realization.
- enchanted: Enchanted means delighted and filled with wonder.
- starry-eyed: Starry-eyed means foolishly idealist and optimistic.
Commonly confused with
- deluded: Deluded means holding false beliefs; disillusioned means having lost those false beliefs.
Word family
- disillusion (verb): To strip someone of false beliefs.
- disillusionment (noun): A feeling of disappointment resulting from discovery that something is not good.
Collocations
- disillusioned youth
- become disillusioned
- disillusioned with politics
- thoroughly disillusioned
Idioms & expressions
- scales fell from one's eyes
- woken up to reality
Example sentences
- "The young lawyer became disillusioned with the justice system after witnessing corrupt backroom deals." Career reflection
- "Many voters felt thoroughly disillusioned by the party's failure to deliver promised reforms." Social observation
Memory hook
DIS-ILLUSION = ILLUSION is DIS-missed. Stripped of magic, facing hard truth.
When not to use
Do not use for physical injury or grief from death; it refers specifically to broken illusions.
Fun facts
- The Lost Generation of writers after World War I (such as Hemingway and Fitzgerald) was largely characterized by literary disillusionment with Victorian morality.
Explore more words
despondent, embittered, idealistic, cynical, forlorn, jaundiced
Also appears in
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