discouraged

American  

[dih-skur-ijd, -skuhr-] / dɪˈskɜr ɪdʒd, -ˈskʌr- /

adjective

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. disapproved of.

   Climbing on the safety railing is a strongly discouraged activity.

   We consider payday lenders to be a discouraged industry.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of discourage.

Other Word Forms

• undiscouraged adjective

Etymology

Origin of discouraged

discourage ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

The influx of nutrients from the landslide may have supported these communities, while the release of toxic sulfur compounds could have discouraged other marine life from disturbing them.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

“Short-term-oriented capital markets have discouraged companies with a longer term view from going public at all, depriving the economy of innovation and opportunity.”

From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026

“They put pressure on people to make them discouraged and hopeless,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

They reckon it may have stiffened the resolve of the German public and discouraged rebels within the dying Nazi regime.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 12, 2026

Ama, however, doesn’t seem discouraged or flustered by the news of her own death.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Related Words

• crestfallen
• depressed
• dismayed
• pessimistic