discourage
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to deprive of courage, hope, or confidence; dishearten; dispirit.
- Antonyms:
- encourage
-
to dissuade (usually followed byfrom ).
-
to obstruct by opposition or difficulty; hinder.
Low prices discourage industry.
-
to express or make clear disapproval of; frown upon.
to discourage the expression of enthusiasm.
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to deprive of the will to persist in something
-
to inhibit; prevent
this solution discourages rust
-
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
-
discouragementnoun
-
discouragernoun
-
discourageableadjective
-
undiscourageableadjective
-
undiscouragingadjective
-
discouraginglyadverb
-
undiscouraginglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
discouragesimple
-
discouragessimple
-
have discouragedperfect
-
has discouragedperfect
-
am discouragingprogressive
-
are discouragingprogressive
-
is discouragingprogressive
-
have been discouragingperfect progressive
-
has been discouragingperfect progressive
Past
-
discouragedsimple
-
had discouragedperfect
-
was discouragingprogressive
-
were discouragingprogressive
-
had been discouragingperfect progressive
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
"Creativity at Work" and "The Hidden Secrets of the Creative Mind"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Curtis Aikens and the American Dream" and "Go For It!"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
List 4
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Officials said this change is intended to discourage companies from leaving the state.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 7, 2026
However, worries about muscle related side effects often discourage people from starting treatment or lead them to stop taking the medication, even when the potential benefits are substantial.
From Science Daily • Jun. 30, 2026
She said Joseph had seen the trend online and she urged parents to chat about it with their children and discourage them from doing something similar.
From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026
While financial support exists for low-income Medicare enrollees, administrative barriers often prevent and discourage beneficiaries from accessing these programs, analysts said.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 27, 2026
It extended barbed wire and built new concrete barriers.3 China, too, increased border security to discourage North Koreans from entering the country in the run-up to the 2008 Summer Olympics.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
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.
