discourage
Americanverb (used with object)
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to deprive of courage, hope, or confidence; dishearten; dispirit.
- Antonyms:
- encourage
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to dissuade (usually followed byfrom ).
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to obstruct by opposition or difficulty; hinder.
Low prices discourage industry.
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to express or make clear disapproval of; frown upon.
to discourage the expression of enthusiasm.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to deprive of the will to persist in something
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to inhibit; prevent
this solution discourages rust
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to oppose by expressing disapproval
Synonym Usage
Discourage, dismay, intimidate mean to dishearten or frighten. To discourage is to dishearten by expressing disapproval or by suggesting that a contemplated action or course will probably fail: He was discouraged from going into business. To dismay is to dishearten completely: Her husband's philandering dismayed her. To intimidate is to frighten, as by threats of force, violence, or dire consequences: to intimidate a witness.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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undiscourageableadjective
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prediscourageverb (used with object)
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overdiscourageverb (used with object)
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discouragernoun
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discourageableadjective
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undiscouraginglyadverb
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undiscouragingadjective
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discouraginglyadverb
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discouragementnoun
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have discouragedperfect
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has discouragedperfect 3rd person singular
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am discouragingprogressive 1st person singular
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discouragingparticiple
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is discouragingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are discouragingprogressive
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have been discouragingperfect progressive
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has been discouragingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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discouragessingular 3rd person
Past
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had discouragedperfect
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had been discouragingperfect progressive
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discouragedparticiple
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were discouragingprogressive plural
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discouragedsimple
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was discouragingprogressive singular
Future
Etymology
Origin of discourage
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English discoragen, from Middle French descorager, Old French descoragier; see dis- 1, courage
Explanation
If your friend is thinking about quitting her job and moving to the Peruvian Andes to raise llamas, you might discourage her by pointing out that she’s allergic to llamas and also afraid of heights. When you discourage someone, you try to talk them out of doing something, by pointing out reasons why their planned action would be unwise. The verb discourage has roots in the French word descouragier, which comes from des-, meaning “away,” and corage, or “courage.” So when you discourage someone, you can think of it as taking his courage — or enthusiasm — away.
Vocabulary lists containing discourage
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List 4
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Higher interest rates do not fix any of them — and by raising the cost of capital, they discourage the investment that would, such as automation.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 6, 2026
The Turkmen authorities discourage residents from speaking without permission to foreign media, with outside journalists rarely allowed into the reclusive country.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
A survey by the Sutton Trust published in March found 41% of primary and secondary school leaders believe some schools actively discourage applications from pupils with SEND.
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
A student government poll found that most students oppose a cap on A’s, arguing that it would discourage academic exploration and increase stress.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
The wooden horse had been made, he said, as a votive offering to Athena, and the reason for its immense size was to discourage the Trojans from taking it into the city.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
