'dispirit' originates from Latin elements, specifically the prefix 'dis-' and the noun 'spiritus', where 'dis-' meant 'apart, away, not' and 'spiritus' meant 'breath, spirit'.

'dispirit' developed in English by combining the negative prefix 'dis-' with the noun 'spirit' (influenced by Latin 'spiritus') in Late Middle English, and this formation eventually became the modern English verb 'dispirit'.

Initially, it carried the sense of taking away breath or spirit (literally or figuratively); over time it has come to mean 'to demoralize' or 'to depress the spirits' in current usage.