chagrin

chagrin
 
noun | shuh-GRIN
 
What It Means
 
Chagrin refers to a feeling of frustration or annoyance caused by failure or disappointment.
 
// I decided to take a gap year to the chagrin of my parents.


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chagrin
1 of 2
noun
cha·;grin sh;-;grin   British usually  ;sha-grin
Synonyms of chagrin
: disquietude or distress of mind caused by humiliation, disappointment, or failure
chagrin

2 of 2
verb
chagrined sh;-;grind   British usually  ;sha-grind ; chagrining sh;-;gri-ni;   British usually  ;sha-gri-ni;
transitive verb

: to vex or unsettle by disappointing or humiliating
he was chagrined to learn that his help was not needed


Did you know?
Despite what its second syllable may lead one to believe, chagrin has nothing to do with grinning or amusement—quite the opposite, in fact. Chagrin, which almost always appears in phrases such as “to his/her/their chagrin,” refers to the distress one feels following a humiliation, disappointment, or failure. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the word’s French ancestor, the adjective chagrin, means “sad.” What may be surprising is that the noun form of the French chagrin, meaning “sorrow” or “grief,” can also refer to a rough, untanned leather (and is itself a modification of the Turkish word sa;r;, meaning “leather from the rump of a horse”). This chagrin gave English the word shagreen, which can refer to such leather, or to the rough skin of various sharks and rays.

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
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
However, a very nice man let us in, much to the chagrin of a lady who did not want to let us in.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 16 May 2025
Even a court order was ineffective, much to the chagrin of law enforcement.
—Richard Forno, The Conversation, 16 May 2025
Verb
As someone who has spent a lifetime as a public voice for social justice, I have been chagrined to see how even bland, neutral words can be quickly weaponized for cultural warfare.
—Penny Abeywardena, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Dog Man’s success chagrins his boss, Chief (Li’l Rel Howery), and delights the local TV reporter Sarah Hatoff (Isla Fisher).
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 30 Jan. 2025