: disquietude or distress of mind caused by humiliation, disappointment, or failure
chagrined
shə-ˈgrind 
British usually ˈsha-grind
; chagrining
shə-ˈgri-niŋ
British usually ˈsha-gri-niŋ
: 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.
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 WebElizabeth Fazzare, Architectural Digest, 27 June 2024
Rumors spread online months ago that Boise doughnut shop DK Donuts was closing its store on the corner of 13th and State streets, much to the chagrin of its patrons.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 27 June 2024
Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 27 Mar. 2024
Joe Tierney Art out of place Manhattan: I am deeply chagrined to learn that a precious Banksy art piece is being hauled out of the city to Connecticut by the landlord whose building hosted the artwork.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 5 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for chagrin 
Noun
Across Paris, migrants have been bussed to far-away towns like Bordeaux and Lyon and given temporary housing, much to the chagrin of these cities’ mayors.
—Elizabeth Fazzare, Architectural Digest, 27 June 2024
Rumors spread online months ago that Boise doughnut shop DK Donuts was closing its store on the corner of 13th and State streets, much to the chagrin of its patrons.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 27 June 2024
Verb
Wikimedia Commons Examples of true chiclet keyboards include the clackers on the TRS-80 Color Computer, Commodore PET, and, to much chagrin, the IBM PCjr.
—Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 27 Mar. 2024
Joe Tierney Art out of place Manhattan: I am deeply chagrined to learn that a precious Banksy art piece is being hauled out of the city to Connecticut by the landlord whose building hosted the artwork.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 5 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for chagrin
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chagrin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Chagrin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chagrin. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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