What does dispirit mean?
To "dispirit" someone is to drain them of enthusiasm, hope, or confidence — the opposite of inspiring them. The word combines the negative prefix "dis-" with "spirit," so it works almost mechanically on the imagination: whatever animates a person's outlook is being taken away. It typically describes a gradual erosion of morale rather than sudden despair, which makes it well suited to contexts like prolonged setbacks, disappointing news, or grinding routine. In modern usage it appears most often in its participial forms — people are described as "dispirited," and experiences as "dispiriting" — though the base verb remains current, especially in formal or journalistic writing: "the defeat did not dispirit the team." Its register is slightly elevated compared with everyday alternatives like "get down" or "bum out," lending writing a measured, literary tone. For anyone describing the quiet wearing-down of resolve rather than dramatic heartbreak, "dispirit" is a precise and expressive choice.
verbTo cause someone to lose enthusiasm, hope, or confidence; to lower the spirits of.
- To deprive someone of spirit, hope, or enthusiasm; to demoralize.
"The team was deeply dispirited by their third consecutive defeat."
"Repeated setbacks failed to dispirit the volunteers, who kept returning each weekend."
"The endless paperwork had a dispiriting effect on even the most dedicated staff."
"Dispirit" literally does to your mood what its prefix promises — it takes the "spirit" out of you.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dispirit
"Dispirit" was formed in English in the early seventeenth century from the Latin-derived noun "spirit" plus the negative prefix "dis-," essentially meaning "to take away spirit." The root traces back to Latin "spiritus," meaning breath or soul, the same source that gave English "inspire," "respire," and "conspire." It belongs to a family of English verbs built on this root that describe affecting someone's inner state, alongside "inspire" at the positive end.
Related word forms
How dispirit is actually used
Somewhat formal in register; more common in written English than casual speech. Often used in the passive form ("was dispirited") or attributively via its participles "dispirited" and "dispiriting." Carries an unambiguously negative connotation but suggests gradual erosion of morale rather than acute despair.
Easily confused with dispirit
"Spirited" means lively and full of energy, while "dispirit" is the opposite — it means to drain someone of energy and hope.