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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Dismay \Dis*may"\, verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Dismayed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Dismaying}.] [OE. desmaien, dismaien, OF. esmaier; pref. es- (L. ex) + OHG. magan to be strong or able; akin to E. may. In English the pref. es- was changed to dis- (L. dis-). See {May}, verb (used without an object)]
1. To disable with alarm or apprehensions; to depress the spirits or courage of; to deprive or firmness and energy through fear; to daunt; to appall; to terrify.
Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed. --Josh. i. 9.
What words be these? What fears do you dismay? --Fairfax.
2. To render lifeless; to subdue; to disquiet. [Obs.]
Do not dismay yourself for this. --Spenser.
Syn: To terrify; fright; affright; frighten; appall; daunt; dishearthen; dispirit; discourage; deject; depress. -- To {Dismay}, {Daunt}, {Appall}. Dismay denotes a state of deep and gloomy apprehension. To daunt supposes something more sudden and startling. To appall is the strongest term, implying a sense of terror which overwhelms the faculties.
So flies a herd of beeves, that hear, dismayed, The lions roaring through the midnight shade. --Pope.
Jove got such heroes as my sire, whose soul No fear could daunt, nor earth nor hell control. --Pope.
Now the last ruin the whole host appalls; Now Greece has trembled in her wooden walls. --Pope.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
dismaying
adjective: causing consternation; "appalling conditions" [syn: {appalling}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
76 Moby Thesaurus words for "dismaying": affecting, afflictive, alarming, awing, baffling, bewildering, bitter, bleak, bothering, cheerless, chilling, comfortless, confounding, confusing, daunting, deplorable, depressing, depressive, deterrent, deterring, discomforting, discomposing, disconcerting, discouraging, disheartening, dismal, disquieting, distracting, distressful, distressing, disturbing, dolorific, dolorogenic, dolorous, dreary, embarrassing, enigmatic, fear-inspiring, fearful, fearsome, frightening, frightful, grievous, intricate, joyless, lamentable, mournful, moving, mysterious, mystifying, overawing, painful, pathetic, perplexing, perturbing, piteous, pitiable, poignant, problematic, puzzling, regrettable, rueful, sad, saddening, scaring, scary, sharp, sore, sorrowful, startling, touching, uncomfortable, upsetting, woebegone, woeful, wretched
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