失望
shīwàng · HSK 4
become disappointed
💔 失 = lose + 望 = hope; literally lose-hope = disappointed
失 means lose or miss; 望 means to hope or gaze toward. Together they form lose-hope, the exact sense of becoming disappointed when an expectation falls through.
望 — 亡 (phonetic) + 月 moon + 王 king/standing figure
Originally a pictograph of a person standing on tiptoe gazing at the moon, expressing the idea of looking far into the distance. Over time the figure was reshaped and 亡 was added as a phonetic element. The meaning extended from 'gaze afar' to 'hope for' or 'expect.'