LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
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“disappoint” in Latin

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

disappoint
fallere: decipere (deceive; the latter implying intention): frustrari (deceive by false hopes, disappoint anybody’s expectation): destituere (to leave in the lurch, after having promised, etc.; also used absolutely): mentiri (to convey a false notion or expectation; of things; e.g., oculi, frons, vultus): fraudare (to defraud, aliquem aliqua re; and absolutely, aliquem): (The words are found in this connection and order.) fraudare et fallere (e.g., socium, Cic.): ad vanum, or ad irritum, or ad vanum et irritum redigere (to make anything as good as undone; defeat it, etc.); ☞ not ad nihil redigere, in this sense: fidem fallere, mutare, or frustrari; fidem frangere, violare, non servare (to disappoint by not keeping one’s word): take care not to disappoint me, cave aliter facias. To disappoint anybody’s hope or expectation, spem alicujus fallere, ludere or destituere; exspectationem alicujus decipere: to be disappointed in a hope or expectation, a spe destituor; spes me fallit, destituit, or frustratur; opinio me frustratur: to see one’s hopes disappointed, spem perdere spe excfdere; a spe decidere: spe dejici; spes ad irritum cadit or redigitur: death disappointed all his hopes, omnem spem atque omnia vitae consilia mors pervertit: disappointed of his hope, destitutus a spe (Liv.), spe (Curt., 8, 6): being disappointed in this hope or expectation, hac spe lapsus (Caes.); being disappointed of his only hope, destitutus ab unica spe (Liv., 40, 47): if he disappoints us, si is destituat (Liv.): to be disappointed by anybody, ab aliquo destitutum esse: to disappoint a suitor, alicujus precibus non satisfacere. I am never disappointed when I ask him a favor, nullius rei ab aliquo repulsam fero (Nep.): when he was disappointed in this, ubi id parum processit. To be disappointed (of things; e.g., attempts, plans, etc.), irritum fieri; ad irritum cadere, recidere or venire. I have been disappointed, evenit aliquid praeter spem; res praeter opinionem cecidit; res aliter, ac ratus eram, cecidit; aliter res cecidit, ac putabam (the thing has turned out differently from what I expected; in a bad sense).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for disappoint?
The usual Latin words for “disappoint” are fallō, dēcipiō, frūstror; also dēstituō, mentior, fraudō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.