des- (indicating negation or removal), the noun corazón (heart), and the adjectival suffix -ado. Literally, it suggests a person who has had their heart 'taken out' or 'removed.' In the Hispanic worldview, the heart is not just the organ of love, but the central engine of courage, vitality, and willpower. Therefore, being descorazonado implies that one has lost the very internal motor that drives them forward. This word is most appropriate in situations where a person has invested significant effort, hope, or passion into an endeavor, only to meet with a failure or a setback that feels soul-crushing. It is not a word for minor inconveniences; you wouldn't typically be descorazonado because a coffee shop was closed. Instead, you would use it after failing a career-defining exam, losing a championship game in the final seconds, or experiencing a profound disappointment in a personal relationship. It carries a weight of exhaustion and a temporary loss of faith in one's goals. - Emotional Depth
- Unlike simple sadness (tristeza), being descorazonado involves a loss of 'ánimo' or spirit. It is a state of being where the person feels they can no longer find the energy to try again.
- Gender and Number
- As an adjective, it must agree with the subject. A man is descorazonado, a woman is descorazonada, and plural groups are descorazonados or descorazonadas.
Tras perder el partido final, el equipo entero regresó al vestuario sintiéndose profundamente descorazonado.
No te dejes vencer; aunque hoy te sientas descorazonada, mañana será un nuevo comienzo.
- Register
- While common in everyday speech, it is slightly more sophisticated than 'triste' or 'mal', making it suitable for both formal writing and heartfelt personal conversations.
El artista, descorazonado por las duras críticas, dejó de pintar durante un año.
- Preposition Usage
- It is often followed by the preposition 'por' (because of/by) to indicate the cause of the discouragement. Example: 'Descorazonado por la noticia' (Disheartened by the news).
Me sentí descorazonado cuando vi que todo mi trabajo había sido en vano.
A pesar de estar descorazonados, los voluntarios continuaron buscando supervivientes.
- Common Contexts
- Academics, sports, romance, and career paths are the primary domains where this word thrives. It describes the moment the 'wind is taken out of your sails.'
La científica no se dejó descorazonar por los fallos iniciales de su experimento.
¿Por qué estás tan descorazonado? ¡Aún tienes muchas oportunidades!
- Degree Adverbs
- You can intensify the feeling by using 'muy', 'totalmente', or 'completamente'. Example: 'Se sentía completamente descorazonada.'
- In Literature and Song
- Spanish literature, from the Golden Age to modern magical realism, often explores the theme of the 'broken' or 'removed' heart. Songs in the 'bolero' or 'ranchera' genres frequently use this word to describe the aftermath of a betrayal.
El comentarista dijo que el boxeador se veía descorazonado tras el tercer asalto.
Es descorazonador ver cómo el cambio climático afecta a nuestros glaciares.
- Cinematic Use
- In dubbed movies or original Spanish cinema, characters often use this word during 'the dark night of the soul'—that moment in the script where the protagonist is ready to give up on their quest.
La madre miraba a su hijo, descorazonado por no haber conseguido el empleo.
No podemos permitir que un pequeño error nos deje descorazonados.
- Global Reach
- Whether you are in Madrid, Mexico City, or Buenos Aires, this word is universally understood and carries the same emotional weight across all Spanish dialects.
- The Ser vs. Estar Dilemma
- Using 'ser' instead of 'estar' is a classic mistake. Since being disheartened is a state resulting from circumstances, 'estar' is the correct choice. Saying 'Soy descorazonado' sounds like you are a person who is fundamentally and eternally without a heart, which is grammatically possible but semantically strange.
Incorrecto: El villano es un hombre descorazonado. (Should be 'desalmado' if he is cruel).
Correcto: Las estudiantes se sentían descorazonadas tras el examen.
- Confusing Adjective and Verb
- Sometimes learners use the adjective 'descorazonado' when they should use the verb 'descorazonar'. If you want to say 'The news disheartened me', you should say 'La noticia me descorazonó', not 'La noticia fue descorazonada por mí'.
No dejes que los problemas te descorazonen; sigue intentándolo.
El director técnico estaba descorazonado por el bajo rendimiento del equipo.
- Preposition Errors
- Using 'con' instead of 'por' or 'ante'. While 'descorazonado con' is possible if referring to a person, 'descorazonado por' is much more common for situations. Example: 'Descorazonado por la falta de lluvia'.
- Desanimado
- This is the most common alternative. It literally means 'without soul/spirit' (ánima). It is slightly less intense than descorazonado. You can be desanimado because it's raining, but you are descorazonado when your dreams are crushed.
- Abatido
- From the verb 'abatir' (to knock down). This describes a person who feels physically and mentally defeated. It is very close to descorazonado but emphasizes the 'fallen' aspect of the emotion.
- Desalentado
- From 'aliento' (breath). It means 'out of breath' or 'without the breath of life'. It is often used in the context of losing the motivation to continue a long task.
Aunque estaba desanimado por el tráfico, no llegó descorazonado a la entrevista.
El paciente se sentía abatido después de tantos meses de tratamiento sin éxito.
- Cabizbajo
- Literally 'head-low'. This describes the physical posture of someone who is descorazonado—walking with their chin on their chest.
No te veas tan cabizbajo; levanta la mirada y sigue adelante.
- Antonyms
- The opposites would be 'alentado', 'esperanzado', 'entusiasmado', or 'animado'. These all suggest the presence of heart, hope, and spirit.
مثالها بر اساس سطح
Estoy descorazonado porque perdí mi perro.
I am disheartened because I lost my dog.
Use 'estoy' for feelings.
Ella está descorazonada por la lluvia.
She is disheartened by the rain.
Feminine agreement: descorazonada.
No estés descorazonado, amigo.
Don't be disheartened, friend.
Imperative mood (negative).
El niño está descorazonado sin su juguete.
The boy is disheartened without his toy.
Adjective modifying 'el niño'.
Estamos descorazonados por el examen.
We are disheartened by the exam.
Plural masculine agreement.
Juan se siente descorazonado hoy.
Juan feels disheartened today.
Using the verb 'sentirse'.
Mi mamá está descorazonada.
My mom is disheartened.
Feminine singular.
¿Por qué estás descorazonada?
Why are you (fem.) disheartened?
Question form.
Me sentí descorazonado tras fallar el gol.
I felt disheartened after missing the goal.
Preterite tense of 'sentirse'.
Es normal estar descorazonado si no tienes trabajo.
It is normal to be disheartened if you don't have a job.
Infinitive 'estar' after 'es normal'.
Las jugadoras regresaron descorazonadas al hotel.
The players (fem.) returned disheartened to the hotel.
Plural feminine agreement.
No te sientas descorazonada, vas a mejorar.
Don't feel disheartened, you are going to improve.
Negative imperative.
El equipo se veía descorazonado en el campo.
The team looked disheartened on the field.
Using 'verse' to mean 'to look/appear'.
Ella estaba descorazonada por las malas noticias.
She was disheartened by the bad news.
Imperfect tense for description.
A veces me siento descorazonado con el español.
Sometimes I feel disheartened with Spanish.
Reflexive verb 'sentirse'.
Ellos están descorazonados porque no hay comida.
They are disheartened because there is no food.
Plural masculine.
Me dejó descorazonado saber que no me darían la beca.
It left me disheartened to know they wouldn't give me the scholarship.
Using 'dejar' to describe the result.
A pesar de estar descorazonada, ella siguió practicando.
Despite being disheartened, she kept practicing.
'A pesar de' followed by gerund/infinitive.
Es un hombre descorazonado por las injusticias del mundo.
He is a man disheartened by the injustices of the world.
Adjective modifying 'hombre'.
No debemos permitir que un fracaso nos deje descorazonados.
We must not allow a failure to leave us disheartened.
Subjunctive after 'permitir que'.
Se sentía descorazonada ante la falta de apoyo de su familia.
She felt disheartened in the face of the lack of support from her family.
Preposition 'ante' (in the face of).
Quedó descorazonado al ver su casa destruida.
He was left disheartened upon seeing his house destroyed.
Verbo de cambio 'quedar'.
Es descorazonador ver tanta pobreza en las calles.
It is disheartening to see so much poverty in the streets.
Using the '-dor' form as an adjective for the situation.
¿Cómo puedes no estar descorazonado después de esto?
How can you not be disheartened after this?
Rhetorical question.
El pueblo se mostraba descorazonado ante la crisis económica.
The people appeared disheartened in the face of the economic crisis.
Using 'mostrarse' as a synonym for 'estar'.
Fue una derrota descorazonadora para el joven tenista.
It was a disheartening defeat for the young tennis player.
Adjective modifying 'derrota'.
Se sentían profundamente descorazonados por la traición.
They felt deeply disheartened by the betrayal.
Adverb 'profundamente' as an intensifier.
No te descorazones; la perseverancia es la clave del éxito.
Don't lose heart; perseverance is the key to success.
Pronominal verb 'descorazonarse'.
El informe presentaba un panorama bastante descorazonado.
The report presented a quite disheartened outlook.
Adjective modifying 'panorama'.
Muchos artistas se sienten descorazonados por la falta de fondos.
Many artists feel disheartened by the lack of funds.
Plural masculine agreement.
Su voz sonaba descorazonada cuando llamó por teléfono.
Her voice sounded disheartened when she called on the phone.
Adjective modifying 'voz'.
Quedamos descorazonados al descubrir la verdad sobre el proyecto.
We were left disheartened upon discovering the truth about the project.
First person plural 'quedar'.
El protagonista, descorazonado por el destino, decidió abandonar su búsqueda.
The protagonist, disheartened by fate, decided to abandon his quest.
Appositive adjective phrase.
Es imperativo no sucumbir a un estado descorazonado ante la adversidad.
It is imperative not to succumb to a disheartened state in the face of adversity.
Formal structure with 'sucumbir a'.
La desidia del gobierno dejó a los ciudadanos totalmente descorazonados.
The government's apathy left the citizens totally disheartened.
Subject-verb-object-adjective structure.
Su mirada descorazonada revelaba más que mil palabras.
His disheartened gaze revealed more than a thousand words.
Literary use of 'descorazonada'.
A pesar de la descorazonada situación, hubo un rayo de esperanza.
Despite the disheartened situation, there was a ray of hope.
Pre-nominal adjective for emphasis.
Se sumió en un silencio descorazonado tras la noticia del deceso.
He sank into a disheartened silence after the news of the death.
Using 'sumirse en' (to sink into).
La crítica fue tan feroz que el autor quedó descorazonado permanentemente.
The criticism was so fierce that the author remained permanently disheartened.
Resultative clause with 'tan... que'.
Resulta descorazonador que aún existan tales prejuicios en nuestra sociedad.
It is disheartening that such prejudices still exist in our society.
Impersonal 'resulta' + adjective + 'que' + subjunctive.
La obra destila un sentimiento descorazonado sobre la condición humana.
The work distills a disheartened feeling about the human condition.
Using 'destilar' (to distill/exude).
No es sino un espíritu descorazonado el que vaga por estas páginas.
It is but a disheartened spirit that wanders through these pages.
Complex 'no es sino' construction.
Su retórica, aunque brillante, dejaba un regusto descorazonado en el auditorio.
His rhetoric, though brilliant, left a disheartened aftertaste in the audience.
Metaphorical use of 'regusto' (aftertaste).
Se enfrentó a la ontología del ser desde una perspectiva descorazonada.
He faced the ontology of being from a disheartened perspective.
Academic context.
El ocaso de la civilización se describe con un tono profundamente descorazonado.
The sunset of civilization is described with a deeply disheartened tone.
Passive voice with 'se'.
Incluso en el más descorazonado de los hombres reside una chispa de voluntad.
Even in the most disheartened of men resides a spark of will.
Superlative construction.
La prosa de Unamuno a menudo explora el alma descorazonada ante la duda existencial.
Unamuno's prose often explores the disheartened soul before existential doubt.
Literary analysis.
Tal descorazonamiento no es óbice para que sigamos luchando por la justicia.
Such disheartening is no obstacle to our continuing to fight for justice.
Using 'no es óbice para que' + subjunctive.
محتوای مرتبط
واژههای بیشتر emotions
a diferencia de
B1برخلاف برادرم، من خیلی آرام هستم.
abatido
B1Feeling or showing great sadness or discouragement; dejected.
abatimiento
B2واژه 'abatimiento' به معنای حالت افسردگی، ناامیدی یا بی حالی است.
abatir
B1Abatir: ناامید کردن کسی یا سرنگون کردن چیزی. 'خبر او را دلسرد کرد' (The news discouraged him).
abierto/a de mente
B2روشنفکر؛ مایل به پذیرش ایدههای جدید.
aborrecer
B1بیزار بودن، متنفر بودن. 'من از دروغ بیزارم.'
abrazar
A1بغل کردن. 'او مادرش را بغل کرد.' 'آنها تصمیم گرفتند که صلح را بپذیرند.'
abrazo
A1عمل گرفتن کسی در آغوش؛ بغل کردن.
abrumador
B1چیزی که به دلیل قدرت یا مقدار زیاد، خردکننده یا طاقتفرسا باشد.
abrumar
B1کسی را با حجم زیادی از کار یا احساسات غرق کردن.