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
Related Words
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
- discourageable adjective
- discouragement noun
- discourager noun
- discouragingly adverb
- overdiscourage verb (used with object)
- prediscourage verb (used with object)
- undiscourageable adjective
- undiscouraging adjective
- undiscouragingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of discourage
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English discoragen, from Middle French descorager, Old French descoragier; dis- 1, courage
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.
They elevate certain food groups, while explicitly discouraging others.
From Barron's
The actress discouraged readers from trying to guess exactly who she was referring to in the post, adding: "Whatever you think is true isn't even close."
From BBC
Some attendees waved their arms in silent applause, since clapping was discouraged.
Even if the U.S. and Venezuelan government are able to convince investors of political and legal stability going forward, analysts warn that current oil prices may discourage investments that span years and total billions.
A bigger question is whether the tax would discourage future start-ups in Silicon Valley, where the low survival rate of new businesses is already lamented.
From Barron's
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.
