désillusion

disillusionment; disappointment

noun deh-zee-loo-ZYOHN Rare

Origin: French dés- (negation) + illusion.

Usage Note

Désillusion describes the feeling of lost illusions or shattered expectations. Éprouver une désillusion means to experience disillusionment. The related verb désillusionner means to disillusion someone, and the participle désillusionné (disillusioned) is common as an adjective in political and personal contexts.

Examples

"Il a ressenti une profonde désillusion après les élections."

Natural Translation

He felt a deep disillusionment after the elections.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

Faire in French: To Make, To Do, and More

Faire in French means more than make and do: master faire vs rendre, weather and sports idioms, the causative, and the mistakes English speakers make.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

French Greetings: Bonjour, Salut, Coucou Explained

Bonjour, salut, or coucou? Pick the right French greeting every time with a simple two-axis guide to formality and time of day, plus how to say goodbye.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

French Numbers 1 to 100: Count With Confidence

French numbers 1 to 100 in one complete chart, with pronunciation, the et-un rule, hyphens, and the four-twenties system explained so you can count anywhere.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

Passé Composé vs Imparfait: When to Use Each

Passé composé tells the story; imparfait paints the scene. Use this 2-second flowchart, trigger words, and paired examples to pick the right French tense.

June 3, 2026 6 min read