失望
しつぼう · shitsubou · JLPT N3 · noun
disappointment
失望 = lose (失) + hope (望): lost hope is disappointment
失 means to lose, as in 失敗 (shippai, failure). 望 means hope or wish, as in 希望 (kibou, hope). Swap 希 for 失 and hope becomes hope lost. Sound cue: shitsu-BOU, same -bou ending as kibou.
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.'