Dismayings

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The state of feeling distress or anxiety due to unexpected situations or outcomes
2. A reaction characterized by shock or disappointment when confronted with unwelcome news or events
3. The experience of being troubled or unsettled by circumstances that disrupt normal expectations or plans

Etymology: "Dismayings" is simply the plural of "dismaying," so its history is that of the noun-and-verb family it belongs to. The plural form appears wherever several distinct instances of something alarming or disheartening are being listed, as in reports of a series of bad news or unwelcome developments. Because the plural only adds an -s to the singular, there is nothing further to trace in the form itself. The sense of shock or disappointment it carries is the same as that of the singular, applied to more than one occasion.

Synonyms: disheartening, discouraging, distressing, unsettling, alarming

Antonyms: encouragements, comforts, reassurances, cheerings, upliftings