demoralize

[ dih-mawr-uh-lahyz, -mor- ]

/ dɪˈmɔr əˌlaɪz, -ˈmɒr- /

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See synonyms for: demoralize / demoralized / demoralizing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), de·mor·al·ized, de·mor·al·iz·ing.

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.

to corrupt or undermine the morals of.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Also especially British, de·mor·al·ise .

Origin of demoralize

From the French word démoraliser, dating back to 1785–95. See de-, moral, -ize

OTHER WORDS FROM demoralize

de·mor·al·i·za·tion, nounde·mor·al·iz·er, nounde·mor·al·iz·ing·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use demoralize in a sentence

Rather, human trafficking, like slavery in the past, is a way of demoralizing the conquered.
ISIS, Boko Haram, and the Growing Role of Human Trafficking in 21st Century Terrorism|Louise I. Shelley|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If I may say so, you need to get past this issue that is sapping your energy and demoralizing your followers.
Do LGBTs Owe Christians an Olive Branch? Try The Other Way Around|Jay Michaelson|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The results of such widespread lack of curiosity or interest in knowledge are as demoralizing as they are predictable.
Richard Hofstadter and America’s New Wave of Anti-Intellectualism|David Masciotra|March 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They were counting on the scandal to motivate conservatives to vote while demoralizing liberals.
Scandals Do Not a Party Platform Make|Justin Green|May 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Now, the Republicans are compromising and demoralizing their base.
On the Fiscal Cliff, Republicans Got Nothin’|Daniel Gross|December 2, 2012|DAILY BEAST
This is the only book that I know which goes deeply into the corrupting, demoralizing psychology of prison life.
Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist|Alexander Berkman
There was a scarcity of food and clothing for the Confederates; the cold climate was most uncomfortable and demoralizing for them.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey
The evil of this spirit knew no bounds, and the demoralizing effect it produced was especially apparent at election times.
East Anglia|J. Ewing Ritchie
The Church shortly discovered an entirely unlooked-for evil, insidious, demoralizing—the political corruption of voters.
The Leaven in a Great City|Lillian William Betts
The statement that the public schools are demoralizing must be true, if true at all, for one of three reasons.
Thoughts on Educational Topics and Institutions|George S. Boutwell

British Dictionary definitions for demoralize

demoralize

demoralise

/ (dɪˈmɒrəˌlaɪz) /

verb (tr)

to undermine the morale of; disheartenhe was demoralized by his defeat

to debase morally; corrupt

to throw into confusion

Derived forms of demoralize

demoralization or demoralisation, noundemoralizer or demoraliser, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

demoralize

Origin of demoralize

OTHER WORDS FROM demoralize

Words related to demoralize

How to use demoralize in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for demoralize

demoralise

Derived forms of demoralize