1. Look for synonyms or antonyms:
* Example Sentence: "After losing the championship, the team was dejected and walked off the field with their heads down."
* Clue: "Heads down" implies a lack of enthusiasm or spirit, which could be a synonym for "dejected."
* Example Sentence: "While some felt dejected after the presentation, others were energized and ready to move forward."
* Clue: "Energized" is the opposite of "dejected," suggesting that "dejected" means something like "discouraged" or "downcast."
2. Consider the surrounding words and phrases:
* Example Sentence: "Despite the setback, she refused to be dejected. Instead, she saw it as an opportunity to learn and grow."
* Clue: "Setback" and "opportunity to learn and grow" suggest that "dejected" describes a negative emotional state related to a failure or disappointment.
3. Look for clues within the sentence structure:
* Example Sentence: "He felt a sense of dejection after receiving the news."
* Clue: The sentence structure implies that "dejection" is a feeling or emotion.
4. Pay attention to the overall tone and mood:
* Example Sentence: "The room was filled with an air of dejection as the news spread."
* Clue: The overall tone of the sentence is negative and somber, suggesting that "dejection" is a negative emotion.
5. Use your prior knowledge:
* If you're familiar with words like "reject" or "depress," you might be able to connect them to "dejected" and deduce a similar meaning.
By combining these strategies, I could reasonably infer that "dejected" means something like "discouraged," "disheartened," or "sad."