How do you use the word "chagrin" in a sentence?

Q: How do you use the word "chagrin" in a sentence?

Here are real-life examples of using "chagrin": He often hastens physical intimacy, much to the chagrin of his dates. Affluence leads to chagrin.

Chagrin Meaning

/ˈʃaɡ.ɹɪn/

Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.

Definition

nounDistress of mind caused by a failure of aims or plans, want of appreciation, mistakes etc; vexation or mortification.

nounA distress of mind caused by a failure of aims or plans, a want of appreciation, mistakes, etc.; vexation or mortification.

Sentence Examples

He often hastens physical intimacy, much to the chagrin of his dates.

Affluence leads to chagrin.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms:

humble humiliate humiliation

Antonyms:

None

CEFR Practice Quiz

To his great ____, he realized he had worn mismatched shoes to the formal event.

CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)

To my own ____, I realized that I had forgotten to bring my phone.

Word Origin & History

From French chagrin (“sorrow”), from Middle French chagrin (“pain, affliction”) (compare Middle French chagriner, chagrigner (“to experience sorrow”), Old French chagrin (“painful, afflicted”)), probably derived from Old Northern French chagreiner, chagraigner (“to sadden”), of uncertain origin. Likely an enlargement of Old French greignier, graignier (“to cringe, growl, be sullen, be angry, grieve over”), from Old French graigne (“sadness, resentment, grief”), from graim (“sorrowful”), related to Old High German gram (“furious, gloomy, grieved”). The initial syllable is obscure. It may represent Old French chat (“cat”) to express the idea of "lamenting or yowling like cats" (compare German Katzenjammer (“distress, frustration, depression, chagrin”, literally “cat-wailing, cat-misery”), katzbalgen (“to cat-fight”)). An alternative theory is that it came from a metaphorical use of French chagrin, (peau de) chagrain (“a type of roughened leather”), with the connection of roughness, though some dictionaries consider this to be a separate word derived from Old French peau de sagrin, from Ottoman Turkish [script needed] (sağrı, “the rump of an animal, skin for tawing”). The alteration of initial s to ch is likely due to influence from chagrin meaning "sorrow".

Literary Quotations & Historical Citations

"[H]e alone knew how deep was the deluded man's chagrin at the failure of the little plot which he fancied was prospering finely." — 1876, Louisa May Alcott, chapter 8, in Rose In Bloom:

"“Mrs. Yule's chagrin and horror at what she called her son's base ingratitude knew no bounds ; at first it was even thought that she would never get over it.[…]”" — 1904–1905, Baroness Orczy [i.e., Emma Orczy], “The Tragedy in Dartmoor Terrace”, in The Case of Miss Elliott, London: T[homas] Fisher Unwin, published 1905, →OCLC; republished as popular edition, London: Greening & Co., 1909, OCLC 11192831, quoted in The Case of Miss Elliott (ebook no. 2000141h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg of Australia, February 2020:

"I was like that, not in a state of fury but of sadness, when your letter arrived. I began to read it, with the pleasure one feels on hearing oneself attacked by somebody one likes. But when I reached the passage about the ‘sadism’ and ‘demonicalness’ of my persecution of you, my chagrin couldn’t hold out, and gaiety broke through." — 1983, Robert de Montesquiou, translated by Terence Kilmartin, “From Robert de Montesquiou, around 8 July 1915”, in Philip Kolb, editor, Marcel Proust, Selected Letters, volume 3 (1910–1917), London: HarperCollinsPublishers, →ISBN, pages 317–318:

"And even though their numbers have been halved—that’s the unofficial tally given in one of the strategy sessions—everyone from Sansa to Daenerys to Varys is wondering who is going to rule over which pile of smoking ruins. That’s when the campaigning begins, much to Jon and Dany’s chagrin." — 2019 May 5, Danette Chavez, “Campaigns are Waged On and Off the Game Of Thrones Battlefield (Newbies)”, in The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 28 Jan 2021:

"But since this Infidel Minister knows the folly of these Brags; which he sees destroy’d by the Relations Printed in other Countries: They serve only, for a Subject to augment his Pride; and gives him a Pleasure, the mor to Chagrine and Mortifie the French Ambassador." — 1683, Richard Tonson, Jacob Tonson, translated by Daniel Defoe, An Account of Monsieur De Quesne’s Late Expedition at Chio, London, page 50:

Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words