deject

Imagine a wilting flower—head drooping, petals losing their color. That's the feeling of being dejected. To deject someone is to make them feel sad, disappointed, or hopeless. A harsh word from a friend, a failed test, or a lost game can all leave you feeling this way. It's more than just a fleeting sadness; it's a loss of spirit, like a defeated soldier returning home. The word comes from the Latin deicere, meaning "to throw down," as if someone has physically cast your spirits to the ground.

To deject means to depress or discourage someone, causing them to feel disheartened and lose hope. It is a powerful word that suggests a significant blow to one's spirit. Unlike simply making someone sad, dejection implies a deeper sense of disappointment and a loss of confidence.

You might see it used in literature to describe characters facing hardship: "The news of the failure utterly dejected him." Or perhaps, "Despite the setback, she refused to let herself be dejected." While "deject" is technically a verb, in modern English, you will almost always encounter it in the form of the adjective dejected. It is often linked to failure or rejection—the kind of experience that knocks the wind out of your sails.

The word carries a heavy weight of resignation. It's not just about being unhappy; it's about having your hopes dashed and your spirit dampened. Think of a lonely figure slumped on a bench, head in hands—that image embodies the essence of dejection. So, if a situation leaves you feeling defeated and hopeless, you've likely experienced the sting of being dejected.