noun · 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.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˌdɪsɪˈluːʒənmənt/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˌdɪsɪˈljuːʒənmənt/
Canada, US:/ˌdɪsɪˈluʒənmənt/
Canada, US:/ˌdɪsəˈluʒənmənt/
Texas:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australian:/ˌdɪsəˈlʉːʒənmənt/
QueenslandRecorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:D IH2 S IH0 L UW1 ZH AH0 N M AH0 N T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A feeling of disappointment, akin to depression, arising from the realization that something is not what it was expected or believed to be, possibly accompanied by philosophical angst from having one's beliefs challenged.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The act of freeing from an illusion; the state of being freed therefrom.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
freeing from false belief or illusions
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: disenchantment, disillusion
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: edification, sophistication
History
Etymology
From dis- + illusion + -ment.
Across languages
Translations
36 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Chinese Mandarin:
幻滅 /幻灭
(huànmiè)
— feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
Chinese Mandarin:
失望
(shīwàng)
— feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
Czech:
deziluze
— feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
Dutch:
desillusie
— feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
Esperanto:
elreviĝo
— feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
Esperanto:
senreviĝo
— feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
Esperanto:
seniluziiĝo
— feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
Esperanto:
disreviĝo
— feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
French:
désillusion
— feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
Galician:
desilusión
— feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
German:
Desillusionierung
— feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
German:
Enttäuschung
— feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
German:
Ernüchterung
— feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
Greek:
απογοήτευση
(apogoḯtefsi)
— feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
Hungarian:
kiábrándulás
— feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
Japanese:
幻滅
(genmetsu)
— feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
Japanese:
失望
(shitsubō)
— feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
Māori:
matekiritanga
— feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
Polish:
rozczarowanie
— feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
Russian:
разочаро́ванность
(razočaróvannostʹ)
— feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
Russian:
разочарова́ние
(razočarovánije)
— feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
Spanish:
desilusión
— feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
Ukrainian:
розчарува́ння
(rozčaruvánnja)
— feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
Ukrainian:
розчаро́ваність
(rozčaróvanistʹ)
— feeling that arises from the discovery that something is not what it was anticipated to be
Chinese Mandarin:
幻滅 /幻灭
(huànmiè)
— act of freeing from an illusion
Esperanto:
elrevigo
— act of freeing from an illusion
French:
désillusion
— act of freeing from an illusion
German:
Desillusionierung
— act of freeing from an illusion
German:
Ernüchterung
— act of freeing from an illusion
Japanese:
幻滅
(genmetsu)
— act of freeing from an illusion
Māori:
whakamatekiritanga
— act of freeing from an illusion
Russian:
разочарова́ние
(razočarovánije)
— act of freeing from an illusion
Russian:
утра́та иллю́зий
(utráta illjúzij)
— act of freeing from an illusion
Russian:
круше́ние иллю́зий
(krušénije illjúzij)
— act of freeing from an illusion
Spanish:
desilusión
— act of freeing from an illusion
Spanish:
desilusionamiento
— act of freeing from an illusion