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Dismay vs Actuate - What's the difference?

dismay | actuate |

As verbs the difference between dismay and actuate

is that dismay is to disable with alarm or apprehensions; to depress the spirits or courage of; to deprive of firmness and energy through fear; to daunt; to appall; to terrify while actuate is to activate, or to put into motion; to animate.

As a noun dismay

is a sudden or complete loss of courage and firmness in the face of trouble or danger; overwhelming and disabling terror; a sinking of the spirits; consternation.

dismay

English

Noun

(-)
  • A sudden or complete loss of courage and firmness in the face of trouble or danger; overwhelming and disabling terror; a sinking of the spirits; consternation.
  • Condition fitted to dismay; ruin.
  • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To disable with alarm or apprehensions; to depress the spirits or courage of; to deprive of firmness and energy through fear; to daunt; to appall; to terrify.
  • * Bible, Josh. i. 9
  • Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed .
  • * Fairfax
  • What words be these? What fears do you dismay ?
  • To render lifeless; to subdue; to disquiet.
  • * Spenser
  • Do not dismay yourself for this.
  • To take dismay or fright; to be filled with dismay.
  • * 1592 , , III. iii. 1:
  • Dismay not, princes, at this accident,

    actuate

    English

    Verb

    (actuat)
  • To activate, or to put into motion; to animate.
  • * Johnson
  • Wings, which others were contriving to actuate by the perpetual motion.
  • To incite to action; to motivate.
  • * 1748 . HUME, David Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral. 2. ed. London: Oxford University Press, 1973. ยง 11.
  • A man in a fit of anger, is actuated in a very different manner from one who only thinks of that emotion.
  • * Addison
  • Men of the greatest abilities are most fired with ambition; and, on the contrary, mean and narrow minds are the least actuated by it.

    Derived terms

    * actuator

    See also

    * actualise, actualize ----