Standard Lemma guide

crestfallen

adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈkɹɛstfɔːlən/
  • US: /ˈkɹɛstfɔlən/
  • cot-caught-merger: /ˈkɹɛstfɑlən/
  • US: cot-caught Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: K R EH1 S T F AO2 L AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Sad because of a disappointment.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Having the crest, or upper part of the neck, hanging to one side.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

brought low in spirit

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • left us fatigued and deflated spiritually

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: chapfallen, chopfallen, deflated

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From crest + fallen, from the appearance of a horse with its crest (head) on its chest after defeat in a battle.

Across languages

Translations

56 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: клюмнал (kljumnal) — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Bulgarian: унил (unil) — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Chinese Mandarin: 喪氣 /丧气 (sàngqì) — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Chinese Mandarin: 氣餒 /气馁 (qìněi) — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Chinese Mandarin: 垂頭喪氣 /垂头丧气 (chuítóusàngqì) — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Czech: sklíčený — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Czech: skleslý — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Dutch: beteuterd — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Finnish: allapäin — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Finnish: pää painuksissa — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • French: déçu — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • French: abattu — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • German: enttäuscht — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • German: geknickt — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Hungarian: csalódott — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Hungarian: elszontyolodott — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Hungarian: letört — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Hungarian: orrát lógatva — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Hungarian: lógó orral — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Italian: a testa bassa — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Macedonian: по́тиснат (pótisnat) — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Māori: tapou — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Māori: para — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Māori: parakore — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Polish: frasobliwy — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Polish: strapiony — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Polish: zafrasowany — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Polish: zmartwiony — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Portuguese: cabisbaixo — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Romanian: dezamăgit — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Romanian: dezamăgiți — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Romanian: dezamăgită — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Romanian: dezamăgite — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Russian: уны́лый (unýlyj) — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Russian: пода́вленный (podávlennyj) — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Spanish: alicaído — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Spanish: abatido — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Spanish: cariacontecido — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Spanish: de capa caída — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Swedish: modfälld — sad because of a recent disappointment
  • Bulgarian: паднал духом (padnal duhom) — depressed
  • Chinese Mandarin: 沮喪 /沮丧 (jǔsàng) — depressed
  • Dutch: gedeprimeerd — depressed
  • Dutch: terneergeslagen — depressed
  • Finnish: allapäin — depressed
  • Finnish: masentunut — depressed
  • German: niedergeschlagen — depressed
  • Hungarian: csüggedt — depressed
  • Hungarian: levert — depressed
  • Macedonian: нераспо́ложен (neraspóložen) — depressed
  • Russian: удручённый (udručónnyj) — depressed
  • Russian: уны́лый (unýlyj) — depressed
  • Russian: пода́вленный (podávlennyj) — depressed
  • Russian: па́дший ду́хом (pádšij dúxom) — depressed
  • Russian: упа́вший ду́хом (upávšij dúxom) — depressed
  • Spanish: murrio — depressed