What does downhearted mean?
"Downhearted" is an adjective describing someone who feels sad, discouraged, or low in spirits — a person whose usual hopefulness has dimmed, often after disappointment or bad news. The word combines "down," suggesting a lowered position, with "heart," long regarded as the seat of emotion and courage; to be downhearted is thus to have one's spirits cast downward. It appears most often in everyday speech and writing in phrases like "feel downhearted" or "don't be downhearted," the latter serving as gentle encouragement to someone facing setbacks. Its register is warm and slightly literary rather than clinical, distinguishing it from technical terms for persistent low mood. Related derivatives include the adverb "downheartedly" and the noun "downheartedness." Because it names a universal human experience — the deflation that follows failure or loss — it remains a precise, expressive choice when describing temporary discouragement without overstating despair.
adjectiveFeeling sad, discouraged, or lacking in hope and cheerfulness; low in spirits.
- Sad, discouraged, or low in spirits; lacking hope or cheerfulness.
"She refused to stay downhearted after the setback and began planning her next attempt."
"The team was downhearted after losing the final, but they vowed to come back stronger next season."
"Don't be downhearted — one rejected application doesn't mean you won't find the right job."
"He grew downhearted as weeks passed without any news of the rescue."
"Downhearted" literally puts your heart in the gutter — it's built on the old idea that the heart is the seat of courage and joy, so a sinking heart means sinking spirits.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of downhearted
"Downhearted" is an English compound formed from the native words "down" and "heart," reflecting the longstanding metaphor of the heart as the seat of courage and emotion, so that lowered spirits are figured as a lowered heart. It emerged in English usage around the late eighteenth century, joining a family of heart-based compounds such as "wholehearted," "halfhearted," and "lighthearted." All of these draw on Old English "heorte," which has cognates across the Germanic languages.
Related word forms
How downhearted is actually used
Slightly literary or conversational rather than clinical; common in British English especially in encouraging phrases like "don't be downhearted." It describes a temporary emotional state rather than a lasting condition such as depression.
Easily confused with downhearted
"Halfhearted" describes effort or enthusiasm that is lukewarm and lacking commitment, while "downhearted" describes a person's mood of sadness or discouragement.
Both describe loss of spirit, but "disheartened" emphasizes having one's courage or confidence removed by events, whereas "downhearted" more generally describes being in low spirits.