demoralize
Americanverb (used with object)
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demoralizes,
present (3rd person singular)
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demoralized,
past participle, past
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demoralizing
present participle
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to deprive (a person or persons) of spirit, courage, discipline, etc.; destroy the morale of.
The continuous barrage demoralized the infantry.
-
to throw (a person) into disorder or confusion; bewilder.
We were so demoralized by that one wrong turn that we were lost for hours.
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to corrupt or undermine the morals of.
verb
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to undermine the morale of; dishearten
he was demoralized by his defeat
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to debase morally; corrupt
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to throw into confusion
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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demoralizesimple
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demoralizessimple
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have demoralizedperfect
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has demoralizedperfect
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am demoralizingprogressive
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are demoralizingprogressive
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is demoralizingprogressive
-
have been demoralizingperfect progressive
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has been demoralizingperfect progressive
Past
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demoralizedsimple
-
had demoralizedperfect
-
was demoralizingprogressive
-
were demoralizingprogressive
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had been demoralizingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of demoralize
From the French word démoraliser, dating back to 1785–95. See de-, moral, -ize
Explanation
If something demoralizes you, it makes you feel bad or hopeless. When your soccer team was trounced by the last-place team in the league, the loss seemed to demoralize everyone, from players to coaches to fans. Demoralize can also mean what it looks like, "to remove the morals of." For example, parents worry that R-rated movies will demoralize their children. In other words, they fear kids will lose their sense of what's right and wrong if they see glamorous actors indulging in bad behavior.
Vocabulary lists containing demoralize
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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
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The Secret Life of Bees
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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.
See Examples For:
It also would all but destroy Detroit’s immediate chances, demoralize the clubhouse and likely alienate a fan base desperate to see the Tigers win their first title since 1984.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 10, 2025
On a team without set bullpen roles, Henriquez wants to be a closer, using his blazing fastball not just to demoralize hitters but to shut down games as well.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2025
But the obvious goal is to demoralize federal workers across the board.
From Slate ● Jan. 31, 2025
Others, however, have said that such messaging may have no impact on behavior, or worse, that it may depress and demoralize the public into inaction.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 7, 2024
“I didn’t want to demoralize you too early in the game.”
From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina
In a world that often demoralizes rural Americans, and Appalachians in particular, it is imperative that we understand the value of our experience.
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2025
None of this really demoralizes Im, who knows as well as anybody that his park is a gigantic money sink.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2024
“The use of the word ‘inmate’ further dehumanizes and demoralizes them,” he said in Ms. Hochul’s press release.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 9, 2022
When the Vancouver Canucks go 17 minutes without a shot and then score on their first chance, that demoralizes a team.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 12, 2021
Their absence looks like treason while their presence demoralizes.
From The Contemporary Review, January 1883 Vol 43, No. 1 by Various
It’s possible those demoralized job seekers are pushing the participation rate lower, said Martin of Oxford Economics.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
Instead, Ted’s emphasis on personal growth and camaraderie rebuilds the Greyhounds from their league’s demoralized joke into its comeback kings, powered by their yearning to Believe.
From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026
McKinney called her a “bully” in a recent interview and said her behavior has demoralized her staff.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 23, 2026
I was scrolling through Instagram the other day, confronted by ageless celebrity after ageless celebrity, feeling demoralized.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 17, 2026
But nothing more had been seen of the strange rabbit; and the loss of Mallow, with nothing to show for it, had upset and demoralized the Owsla a good deal.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
The findings about the bat bridges were demoralizing for Altringham, who during his career appeared at several public inquiries into the impact of road-building projects on bats.
From Slate ● Apr. 28, 2026
Other times, the long wait for permanent housing proves demoralizing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2026
The author, who once sported a 6 handicap, experienced diminished swing, ball and foot speed, making golf demoralizing from middle tees.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026
Inside the Justice Department, the resolution was demoralizing: “He’s admitted he owes money, and we get money, but everything else about it stinks to high heaven,” said a current DOJ official familiar with the case.
From Salon ● Jan. 23, 2026
I tried to push Russell out of my mind, but my thoughts slid about, half focused on the demoralizing drama as George fell into poverty, half drifting to my own predicament.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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.
