Definition of CHAGRIN (original) (raw)
: disquietude or distress of mind caused by humiliation, disappointment, or failure
: to vex or unsettle by disappointing or humiliating
he was chagrined to learn that his help was not needed
Did you know?
Chagrin comes from French, in which it means "grief," "sorrow," or essentially the same thing as English's chagrin, and in which it is also an adjective meaning "sad."
Examples of chagrin in a Sentence
Noun
As many a woman has learned to her chagrin, pathological liars are brilliant at deception. —
Katha Pollitt, Nation, 16 June 2003 In World War I, to his chagrin, Eisenhower again found himself on the sidelines, performing training duties stateside while Pershing, MacArthur, and Patton earned their battle ribbons. —U.S. News & World Report, 16 Mar. 1998 In 1628, to the chagrin of Governor William Bradford, the Pilgrims erected an 80-foot Maypole, danced around it, drank beer, and sang. —E. C. Krupp, Sky & Telescope, May 1994 Imagine my chagrin when a whiz kid from Dayton made all A's in the first quarter while I made two B's and a C+. —John Hope Franklin, Race and History, 1989
The fact that he'd been unable to attend the funeral was a source of chagrin for Ted. She had gained five pounds over the winter, much to her chagrin. He decided to get a tattoo, to the chagrin of his parents.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Contrast exists too in the film’s objective as by turns sincere and biting satire, much to the chagrin of critic Roger Ebert, who panned the film in a one-star review upon its release. —Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2024 And Dylan sees an opportunity, much to the chagrin of his parents (Julie Bowen and Nolan North). —Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Oct. 2024
You might be chagrined to find that the details given are not especially revealing and you will be left to your intuition and hunches about what’s going on under the hood. —Lance Eliot, Forbes, 16 Sep. 2024 Jenn introduces the driving instructor, Jesse (not Palmer), who is chagrined to learn that only one of the men — Aaron Erb — knows how to drive stick. —Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 23 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for chagrin 
Word History
Etymology
Noun and Verb
French, from chagrin sad
First Known Use
Noun
1661, in the meaning defined above
Verb
1733, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of chagrin was in 1661
Dictionary Entries Near chagrin
Cite this Entry
“Chagrin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chagrin. Accessed 9 Nov. 2024.
Share
More from Merriam-Webster on chagrin
Last Updated: 21 Oct 2024 - Updated example sentences
Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!