Word of the Day Archive
Thursday September 2, 1999
chagrin \shuh-GRIN\
, noun:
1. Acute vexation, annoyance, or embarrassment, arising from disappointment or failure.
transitive verb:
1. To unsettle or vex by disappointment or humiliation; to mortify.
He ran away to the recruiting office at Ottumwa, a river port where Union soldiers were transported east--how he got to the town, a good half-day journey by wagon, isn't clear--and to his chagrin, he found his father waiting there.
-- Allen Barra, Inventing Wyatt Earp: His Life and Many Legends
He noted with chagrin how little hair clung to his head.
-- John Marks, The Wall
Rich Moroni was earning $20,000 a year as a cook and was chagrined to discover that he couldn't keep up with the style of life and spending of his preferred reference group -- the lawyers and executives who shared his passion for squash and belonged to the same health club.
-- Peter T. Kilborn, "Splurge", New York Times, June 21, 1998
Chagrined to find that her current boyfriend has become best pals with her ex-boyfriend Hank, she goes to her ex with the problem.
-- Stephen J. Dubner, "Boston Rockers", New York Times, July 26, 1998
Chagrin is from the French, from chagrin, "sad."
Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for chagrin
