Basic Details
Word: Dismay
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: A feeling of shock and worry or disappointment when something bad or unexpected happens.
Synonyms: alarm, distress, shock, consternation
Antonyms: delight, joy, relief
How to Spell Dismay
Syllables: dis - may
Tricky part: The end is ay, as in the month May, not ey or ae. There is only one s.
Watch out for: dismey, dismae, dissmay
Memory tip: Think of the month May: a rainy May holiday, with every picnic cancelled, would fill you with dismay.
Usage Examples
Example 1: Much to my dismay, the shop had sold out of the book I wanted.
Example 2: The farmers watched with dismay as the hail flattened their wheat.
Example 3: Her dismay turned to relief when she found her lost phone.
Fun Fact
Dismay can be a noun, as in to our dismay, or a verb, as in the news dismayed us; the spelling stays the same.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word dismay as used in the sentence:
To the crowd's dismay, the rain returned just as the match was about to restart.
a) alarm
b) worry
c) shock
d) delight
Show answer
d) delight. Delight is the feeling the crowd would have had if the sun had come out.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
The parents watched in ymdisa as the kite tangled itself in the tall neem tree.
a) disarray
b) delay
c) dismay
d) display
Show answer
c) dismay. The six letters include an m but no l, p or r, so only dismay works.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt wrongly. Choose its meaning:
1. bewilderment 2. remorse 3. jubilation 4. dismey
a) great happiness at a success
b) shock and worry at something bad
c) a state of being confused
d) deep regret for doing wrong
Show answer
b) shock and worry at something bad. Dismey is the slip: the word ends with the ay of May.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Mohan felt dismay when he ____.
a) ate his favourite meal
b) won a quiz prize
c) found his bicycle stolen
d) got an extra holiday
Show answer
c) found his bicycle stolen
2. Which phrase uses dismay correctly?
a) much to our dismayed
b) much to our dismaying
c) much to our dismay
d) much to our dismays
Show answer
c) much to our dismay
