Dismay | Webster's Dictionary (1865)

Dis-māy', v. t.

verbtransitive

v. t. [imp. & p. p. DISMAYED; p. pr. & vb. n. DISMAYING.] [Sp. desmayar, Pg. desmaiar, O. It. dismagare, smagare, to dispirit, to frighten, O. Fr. esmaier, esmayer, Pr. esmaiar, to dismay, to frighten, from des, es, equivalent to Lat. dis, ex, and Goth. & O. H. Ger. magan, to be strong or able.] To disable with alarm or apprehension; to depress the spirits or courage of; to deprive of firmness and energy through fear; to daunt; to appall; to disquiet.

Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed. Josh. i. 9.

What words be these? What fears do you dismay? Fairfax.

Synonyms—To terrify; fright; affright; frighten; appall; daunt; dishearten; dispirit; discourage; deject; depress.—To DISMAY, DAUNT, APPALL. Dismay denotes a state of deep and gloomy apprehension. To daunt supposes something more sudden and startling. To appall is the strongest term, implying a sense of terror which overwhelms the faculties.

So flies a herd of beeves, that hear, dismayed. The lions roaring through the midnight shade. Pope.

Jove got such heroes as my sire, whose soul No fear could daunt, nor earth nor hell control. Pope.

Now the last ruin the whole host appalls; Now Greece has trembled in her wooden walls. Pope.

Dis-māy', v. i.

verbintransitive

v. i. To be disheartened or disabled with fear; to be appalled. [Obs.] It was pure dismaying and fear that made them all run. Pepys.

Dis-māy', n.

noun

n. [Sp. desmayo, Pg. desmaio, O. Fr. esmai, esmoi, Pr. esmai, O. It. smago, discouragement, terror, swoon or fainting fit. See supra.]

Sense 1. Loss of firmness and energy through fear; overwhelming and disabling terror; failure of spirits; utter dejection; yielding to fright.

Sense 2. Condition fitted to dismay; ruin. Spenser.

E'en hell's grim porter shook with dire dismay. Pitt.

Synonyms—Dejection; discouragement; depression; fear; fright; terror.