Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Disappointing'

English Word: Disappointing

Key Russian Translations:

• разочаровывающий [rəzətʃɐˈrovɨvəjʉʂːɪj] - [Formal, Descriptive]
• обескураживающий [ɐbʲɪskʊˈraʐɨvəjʉʂːɪj] - [Formal, Emotional]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate) for both translations

Pronunciation (Russian):

разочаровывающий: [rəzətʃɐˈrovɨvəjʉʂːɪj]

Note on разочаровывающий: Stress falls on the fourth syllable ("ro"). The "ы" sound is a unique Russian vowel, pronounced as a short, centralized "i".

обескураживающий: [ɐbʲɪskʊˈraʐɨvəjʉʂːɪj]

Note on обескураживающий: Stress on the fourth syllable ("ra"). The "ж" is a voiced retroflex fricative, similar to the "s" in "measure".

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Causing a feeling of dissatisfaction or sadness (General Sense)

Translation(s) & Context:

• разочаровывающий - Commonly used to describe something that fails to meet expectations, such as results or experiences.

Usage Examples:

• Этот фильм был разочаровывающим после всех положительных отзывов.

  This movie was disappointing after all the positive reviews.

• Его разочаровывающее поведение испортило вечер.

  His disappointing behavior ruined the evening.

• Результаты оказались разочаровывающими для всей команды.

  The results were disappointing for the entire team.

2. Causing confusion or discouragement (Emotional Impact)

Translation(s) & Context:

• обескураживающий - Used when something disheartens or confuses, often with a stronger emotional connotation.

Usage Examples:

• Её обескураживающий ответ заставил меня задуматься.

  Her disappointing (discouraging) response made me think.

• Обескураживающие новости о проекте расстроили всех.

  The disappointing news about the project upset everyone.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

разочаровывающий (Adjective): This is a present active participle derived from the verb "разочаровать" (to disappoint). It declines like a regular adjective in Russian.

обескураживающий (Adjective): Similarly, this is a present active participle from "обескуражить" (to discourage). It follows the same declension pattern as above.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for разочаровывающий:

• неутешительный
• плачевный

Note: "неутешительный" often implies unsatisfactory results, while "плачевный" can mean pitiful or lamentable.

Antonyms for разочаровывающий:

• вдохновляющий
• обнадеживающий

Related Phrases:

• разочаровывающий результат - Disappointing result (common in formal or academic contexts).
• обескураживающий взгляд - Disappointing (discouraging) look (used for emotional or personal interactions).

Usage Notes:

• "разочаровывающий" is the more common and versatile term for "disappointing", suitable for both formal and informal contexts when describing unmet expectations.
• "обескураживающий" carries a stronger emotional tone and often implies discouragement or confusion alongside disappointment. It is less frequent in casual speech.
• Both words are adjectives derived from verbs, so they must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "разочарованный" (past passive participle, meaning "disappointed") instead of "разочаровывающий" (active participle, meaning "disappointing").

  Incorrect: Этот фильм был разочарованный. (This movie was disappointed.)

  Correct: Этот фильм был разочаровывающий. (This movie was disappointing.)

  Explanation: "разочарованный" describes a person’s emotional state, while "разочаровывающий" describes the quality of something causing disappointment.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, expressing disappointment directly can sometimes be seen as impolite or overly critical, especially in personal interactions. Russians may soften criticism by using indirect language or euphemisms. For example, instead of saying something is "разочаровывающий", they might say "не совсем то, что ожидалось" (not quite what was expected).

Related Concepts:

• разочарование (disappointment, noun)
• обескураженность (discouragement, noun)
• неудовлетворение (dissatisfaction, noun)