discouraged
Americanadjective
-
deprived of or lacking in courage, hope, or confidence.
The discouraged writer discarded the poem, but it was retrieved by a young soldier who sent it off for publication.
Another discouraged mother reported that she had no friends with whom to share childcare duties.
-
dissuaded or obstructed from doing something.
A third of the discouraged firms would probably have qualified for loans had they applied.
A discouraged worker is one who wants to work but is not looking for a job because of a perceived lack of demand.
-
disapproved of.
Climbing on the safety railing is a strongly discouraged activity.
We consider payday lenders to be a discouraged industry.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of discouraged
Explanation
If you work and work on a project and never seem to make any progress, you may feel discouraged, meaning your enthusiasm and optimism have been replaced by doubt and negativity. If you’ve ever felt discouraged, you won’t be surprised to learn that the word’s French origins refer to courage that has being taken away. The adjective describes people who no longer feel that good things will happen, such as discouraged job-seekers, who despite sending hundreds of applications to prospective employers, never get any responses. They may have "lost the courage" to keep looking for work.
Vocabulary lists containing discouraged
List 2
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"Lunch or Junk?" and "Food Deserts"
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List 3
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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.
"Many people struggling with weight are discouraged from trying to lose weight because they fear 'yo-yo dieting' will lead to muscle loss and somehow damage their metabolism," says Prof. Magkos.
From Science Daily • May 17, 2026
The enforcement actions also discouraged trading platforms from listing some tokens that the SEC might have considered to be securities, helping to dampen their prices.
From Barron's • May 12, 2026
He also has discouraged the city from raising taxes and pushed for other ways to make money, including hitting owners of empty properties with a vacancy tax.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
Sluggish sales have discouraged builders from being more aggressive.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 29, 2026
By nightfall, Harry felt discouraged and anxious, and a supper composed largely of moldy bread, upon which Hermione had tried a variety of unsuccessful Transfigurations, did nothing to help.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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.
