discourage
to deprive of courage, hope, or confidence; dishearten; dispirit.
to dissuade (usually followed by from).
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.
to become discouraged: a person who discourages easily.
Origin of discourage
1synonym study For discourage
Other words for discourage
Opposites for discourage
Other words from discourage
- dis·cour·ag·er, noun
- dis·cour·age·a·ble, adjective
- dis·cour·ag·ing·ly, adverb
- o·ver·dis·cour·age, verb (used with object), o·ver·dis·cour·aged, o·ver·dis·cour·ag·ing.
- pre·dis·cour·age, verb (used with object), pre·dis·cour·aged, pre·dis·cour·ag·ing.
- un·dis·cour·age·a·ble, adjective
- un·dis·cour·ag·ing, adjective
- un·dis·cour·ag·ing·ly, adverb
Words Nearby discourage
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use discourage in a sentence
Ward believes that allowing offensive bird names to persist could discourage a new generation of nature enthusiasts from getting involved.
Inside the Movement to Abolish Colonialist Bird Names | Nathalie Alonso | February 12, 2021 | Outside OnlineShortly after, he issued a statement discouraging similar harassment and promising to do better.
Trevor Bauer, unorthodox star with an unorthodox deal, gets an unorthodox Dodgers intro | Chelsea Janes | February 12, 2021 | Washington PostIf this does not discourage the behavior, then it may indeed be time to back off the friendship, while remaining on polite professional terms.
Miss Manners: Time to cut ties with longtime friend? | Judith Martin, Nicholas Martin, Jacobina Martin | February 11, 2021 | Washington PostOther experts expressed concern that double masking could discourage mask-wearing.
Masks should fit better or be doubled up to protect against coronavirus variants, CDC says | Lena H. Sun, Fenit Nirappil | February 11, 2021 | Washington PostBy using an odor eliminator to get rid of the smell, you discourage your pet from returning to the scene of the crime.
Pet Stain & Odor Removers That Get The Job Done | PopSci Commerce Team | February 9, 2021 | Popular-Science
The fences are themselves covered in black sniper netting, to discourage assassins.
Some pro-life groups worry that they discourage women from staying pregnant altogether.
States Slap Pregnant Women With Harsher Jail Sentences | Emily Shire | December 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe British Museum claims that “cultural diplomacy” can somehow discourage human rights violators.
Britain Has Lost Its Marbles: Elgin Loan Will Appease Putin | Geoffrey Robertson | December 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe police themselves do little to dispel or discourage this lionized portrayal.
Prosecutor Used Grand Jury to Let Darren Wilson Walk | Tom Nolan | November 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTUnz also notes that a higher minimum wage would discourage illegal immigration and boost consumer spending.
To Make Their Victory Durable, the GOP Must Fix the Minimum Wage | Dmitri Mehlhorn | November 6, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut the quiet Tagals seem to love danger, and no one tried to discourage the hunter.
Alila, Our Little Philippine Cousin | Mary Hazelton WadeWe decided to discourage any such attempts by opening the affair ourselves.
Letters of Lt.-Col. George Brenton Laurie | George Brenton LaurieFailures would not discourage the worker, for every effort would be considered an experiment until success was attained.
The Leaven in a Great City | Lillian William BettsThere is, then, good reason why the medical profession should discourage too close an investigation into truth.
Ancient Faiths And Modern | Thomas InmanAnd, therefore, I would not discourage anyone in expending whatever thought and labour might be in him upon any literary work.
Friends in Council | Arthur Helps
British Dictionary definitions for discourage
/ (dɪsˈkʌrɪdʒ) /
to deprive of the will to persist in something
to inhibit; prevent: this solution discourages rust
to oppose by expressing disapproval
Derived forms of discourage
- discouragement, noun
- discourager, noun
- discouragingly, adverb
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
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