Disappointment: quick facts
Disappointment is the deflating feeling that follows when reality falls short of one's hopes or expectations. It arises from the gap between what was anticipated and what actually happened, and its depth tends to track…
Category
Complex & secondary emotions
Valence
Negative
Emotion family / blend
Sadness
Typical triggers
Unmet expectations, dashed hopes, plans falling through, letdowns
How it's expressed
Sagging posture, downturned mouth, sigh, dropped shoulders, dimmed energy
Sources: American Psychological Association — APA Dictionary: emotion; Greater Good Science Center, UC Berkeley — Emotions; Plutchik's Wheel of Emotions (Robert Plutchik) — overview; National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) — Depression. Educational information only — not medical or psychological advice. See our sources & fact-check policy.