Dismayer

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. One who causes fear, alarm, or distress in others ; a person who creates a sense of dread or unease in a situation ; an individual who provokes worry or apprehension among people
2. An entity that instills a feeling of shock, dismay, or disappointment ; someone who triggers sadness or discouragement in another ; a figure that evokes strong negative reactions or concern
3. A source of sudden fear or alarm that unsettles others ; a person responsible for generating panic or anxiety ; an agent of emotional disturbance causing despair or uncertainty

Etymology: "Dismayer" is a straightforward formation: the verb "dismay" with the agent suffix "-er," meaning one who does the action. Someone who dismays is someone who causes alarm, distress or loss of courage, so a dismayer is literally one who brings that feeling about. The verb underneath has an older and more dramatic past. "Dismay" comes from Old French "esmaier," meaning to lose courage or to frighten, which itself grew from a root tied to "maier," a word whose sense ran toward making someone feel powerless. Over time the English word moved from the idea of being struck down in spirit to a milder sense of being troubled or unnerved. Because "dismayer" is simply the noun built on that verb, its meaning follows the verb's path: it names whatever or whoever produces that state of alarm. The -er ending is one of English's most productive suffixes, so the word is a transparent, ready-made formation rather than a term with a separate history of its own.

Synonyms: intimidator, frightener, terrorizer

Antonyms: comforter, reassurer, encourager