Spanish word

decepcionar

Pronunciation

IPA/deθepθjoˈnaɾ/

Meaning

  • verbdisappoint

Example

Su decisión me decepcionó mucho.

His decision disappointed me a lot.

Illustration for decepcionar (disappoint)

More examples

El servicio del restaurante decepcionó a los clientes.

The restaurant's service let the customers down.

Core concept

An audience leaving a theater looking disappointed.

Common phrases

  • decepcionar a alguien

    let someone down

  • decepcionar las expectativas

    fall short of expectations

  • decepcionar profundamente

    profoundly disappoint

Similar words

defraudar: Betrays expectations or promises, causing someone to lose trust.
desilusionar: Makes someone feel that their hopes or dreams are unfulfilled.
desanimar: Saps someone's motivation or hope.
fallar: Fails to meet expectations or perform an expected role.

Definition in Spanish

Producir desilusión en alguien al no cumplirse lo que se esperaba.

Word origin

Derived from the noun decepción, which traces to Latin decipere 'to deceive', with -ar added in Spanish to create a verb that denotes causing disillusionment or disappointment.

Usage tips

  • Spanish often makes the thing that causes the feeling the grammatical subject (La película me decepcionó), so expect the cause before the person who feels let down.

Other meanings

  • let downverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word