がっかり

What it means

What does がっかり mean? It denotes the feeling of disappointment that arises when something does not meet expectations. It describes a mild to moderate mood shift from satisfaction to dissatisfaction in relation to events, outcomes, or someone’s actions.

Main meanings

• 1) emotional state of disappointment or letdown after something doesn’t meet expectations
• 2) a noun referring to the feeling itself or a disappointing situation

How to use it

Used in casual and semi-formal contexts to express disappointment. It appears with がっかりする to form a verb meaning to be disappointed; past forms がっかりした, ongoing forms がっかりしている are common. It can describe personal reactions to events, products, news, or actions by others; used in conversation, reviews, and reporting.