discourage

[dih-skur-ij, -skuhr-]

See more synonyms for discourage on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), dis·cour·aged, dis·cour·ag·ing.

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.

verb (used without object), dis·cour·aged, dis·cour·ag·ing.

to become discouraged: a person who discourages easily.

Origin of discourage

1400–50; late Middle English discoragen < Middle French descorager, Old French descoragier. See dis-¹, courage

Related formsdis·cour·ag·er, noundis·cour·age·a·ble, adjectivedis·cour·ag·ing·ly, adverbo·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, adjectiveun·dis·cour·aged, adjectiveun·dis·cour·ag·ing, adjectiveun·dis·cour·ag·ing·ly, adverb

Synonyms

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com

1. daunt, depress, deject, overawe, cow, abash.

Synonym study

1. 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.

Antonyms

1. encourage.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for discouraging

Contemporary Examples

What followed was a very strange and discouraging series of events.
Hollywood Surrenders to North Korea
Marlow Stern
December 17, 2014
It seemed to me a miracle that I never heard a discouraging word from my editor, Susan Murcko.
The Strange and Mysterious Death of Mrs. Jerry Lee Lewis
Richard Ben Cramer
January 11, 2014
Doing so perpetuates the stigma of mental disorder, discouraging persons with mental disorders from seeking care.
Massacres and Madness
Linda Teplin
December 14, 2013
In politics every candidate wants to build a sense of inevitability, inspiring his admirers and discouraging his detractors.
Barack Obama Beating Mitt Romney in Confidence Game, But Will Likely Lose Election
Michael Medved
August 14, 2012
So it is discouraging that conservatives may not even want to take the first step down that path.
A New Theory of Democracy
David Frum
February 8, 2012

Historical Examples

Low-lying alligator, evading the eyesight and discouraging hope!
The Uncommercial Traveller
Charles Dickens
Burnside's repulse at Fredericksburg was followed by a discouraging retreat.
The Nation in a Nutshell
George Makepeace Towle
But it is so discouraging a thing to have my monitress so very good!
Clarissa, Volume 3 (of 9)
Samuel Richardson
Bitter taunts for the past, and discouraging views of the future?
Poems
William D. Howells
And yet, when we wrote to our friends who were watching, their answer was most discouraging.
Lotus Buds
Amy Carmichael

British Dictionary definitions for discouraging

discourage

verb (tr)

to deprive of the will to persist in something
to inhibit; preventthis solution discourages rust
to oppose by expressing disapproval

Derived Formsdiscouragement, noundiscourager, noundiscouragingly, 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

Word Origin and History for discouraging

discourage

v.

mid-15c., discoragen, from Middle French descourager, from Old French descoragier, from des- "away" (see dis-) + corage (see courage). Related: Discouraged; discouragement; discouraging.

discourage

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}discourage

Synonyms

Synonym study

Antonyms

Related Words

Examples from the Web for discouraging

Contemporary Examples

What followed was a very strange and discouraging series of events.

It seemed to me a miracle that I never heard a discouraging word from my editor, Susan Murcko.

Doing so perpetuates the stigma of mental disorder, discouraging persons with mental disorders from seeking care.

In politics every candidate wants to build a sense of inevitability, inspiring his admirers and discouraging his detractors.

So it is discouraging that conservatives may not even want to take the first step down that path.

Historical Examples

Low-lying alligator, evading the eyesight and discouraging hope!

Burnside's repulse at Fredericksburg was followed by a discouraging retreat.

But it is so discouraging a thing to have my monitress so very good!

Bitter taunts for the past, and discouraging views of the future?

And yet, when we wrote to our friends who were watching, their answer was most discouraging.

discourage

Word Origin and History for discouraging

discourage

v.

Origin of discourage