deluso

Forms

deluso (feminine delusa, masculine plural delusi, feminine plural deluse)^[1]

Etymology

It is the past participle of deludere “to disappoint”, used as an adjective.^[2][3][4][5] The verb is a learned word, borrowed from Latin dēlūdō (“to mock, make fun of; deceive”), from dē- and lūdō (“to play”), from lūdus (“game”).^[2][3][1] Devoto takes the participle from Latin dēlūsus directly.^[6] The LEI notes that formations from the Latin participle are found only in Italian and in Middle French delusoire (“illusory”) (1411).^[7] The verb also exists in Friulian delùdi, Catalan deludir, Spanish deludir and Portuguese deludir.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLIO's first record is a Florentine poem of Ventura Monachi from 1348, in the sense “deceived”.^[8] Boccaccio, before 1375, uses deluso for “loosened”.^[8][7] The sense “disappointed” is first recorded at the beginning of the 15th century in Federico Frezzi (DELI: before 1416), whose souls in the Quadriregio are left “scorned and disappointed” as the grapes withdraw from their mouths.^[2][7][9]

Semantic evolution

Old Italian used the adjective for someone tricked or mocked, and only gradually for someone let down in his hopes.^[8][9] The noun delusione shows the same shift: it meant “illusion” from Boccaccio until the 19th century, and “disappointment” from Leopardi (1817–1832); Tommaseo in 1869 still called this use improper.^[2] In modern Italian deluso is said of a person whose expectations have failed, of hopes that have come to nothing, and of a look that shows disappointment.^[4][5][10]

Timeline

• Before 1321 – Dante uses deludere.^[2]
• 1348 – Ventura Monachi uses deluso “deceived”.^[8]
• Before 1375 – Boccaccio uses delusione “illusion”.^[2]
• Before 1416 – Federico Frezzi uses deluso “disappointed”.^[2]
• 1817–1832 – Leopardi uses delusione “disappointment”.^[2]
• 1955 – Deludente “disappointing” is recorded.^[7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. disappointed, let down in one's hopes or expectations: Sono rimasto deluso dal finale del romanzo.^[4][5][10]
2. Of hopes or wishes, that came to nothing: sogni delusi.^[4][5]
3. Showing disappointment: uno sguardo deluso.^[5][10]
4. (as a noun) A disappointed person: il partito dei delusi.^[4]

Related words

• deludere
• delusione
• deludente
• illudere
• Latin dēlūdō

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
3. ^ a b Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
4. ^ a b c d e De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
5. ^ a b c d e Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
6. ^ Devoto, Giacomo (1968), Avviamento alla etimologia italiana: dizionario etimologico, 2nd ed., Firenze: Le Monnier
7. ^ a b c d e Pfister, Max; Schweickard, Wolfgang; Prifti, Elton (eds.) (1979–), Lessico Etimologico Italiano, Wiesbaden: Reichert; online at lei-digitale.it, p. 19, 886
8. ^ a b c d Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
9. ^ a b Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
10. ^ a b c Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse