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.
That money can be used by officials to fund new affordable housing projects, and proponents hope the financial blow could discourage some owners from keeping their units empty.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
Whatever happens, the assault may well discourage the Iranian people—many of whom have been very pro-American—from viewing the United States as a friend in the future.
From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026
A frenzied debate has gripped campus, with students protesting that the changes would increase stress, fuel competition and discourage academic exploration.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
They kept saying the money was a gift and that they would support whatever decision we made, but at the same time, they repeatedly called and texted to discourage us.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026
I looked out the window to discourage him from talking; it didn’t work.
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
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.
