demoralize
Americanverb (used with object)
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to deprive (a person or persons) of spirit, courage, discipline, etc.; destroy the morale of.
The continuous barrage demoralized the infantry.
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to throw (a person) into disorder or confusion; bewilder.
We were so demoralized by that one wrong turn that we were lost for hours.
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to corrupt or undermine the morals of.
verb
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to undermine the morale of; dishearten
he was demoralized by his defeat
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to debase morally; corrupt
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to throw into confusion
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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demoralizesimple
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demoralizessimple
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have demoralizedperfect
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has demoralizedperfect
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am demoralizingprogressive
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are demoralizingprogressive
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is demoralizingprogressive
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have been demoralizingperfect progressive
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has been demoralizingperfect progressive
Past
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demoralizedsimple
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had demoralizedperfect
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was demoralizingprogressive
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were demoralizingprogressive
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had been demoralizingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of demoralize
From the French word démoraliser, dating back to 1785–95. See de-, moral, -ize
Explanation
If something demoralizes you, it makes you feel bad or hopeless. When your soccer team was trounced by the last-place team in the league, the loss seemed to demoralize everyone, from players to coaches to fans. Demoralize can also mean what it looks like, "to remove the morals of." For example, parents worry that R-rated movies will demoralize their children. In other words, they fear kids will lose their sense of what's right and wrong if they see glamorous actors indulging in bad behavior.
Vocabulary lists containing demoralize
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The Secret Life of Bees
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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.
See Examples For:
As a culture, we probably do create unreasonable, sentimental expectations around family that depress and demoralize vast numbers of people.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2025
He then answered his own question: “It’s as if they only wanted to scare, hurt, and demoralize us.”
From Slate ● Feb. 13, 2025
Others, however, have said that such messaging may have no impact on behavior, or worse, that it may depress and demoralize the public into inaction.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 7, 2024
Dancers and their supporters accuse Star Garden management of pricing drinks and cover fees in bad faith in an effort to deter customers, demoralize dancers and weaken resolve in contract negotiations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2023
“I didn’t want to demoralize you too early in the game.”
From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina
In a world that often demoralizes rural Americans, and Appalachians in particular, it is imperative that we understand the value of our experience.
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2025
“It demoralizes the workforce ... you got substandard classes,” you said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2022
“The use of the word ‘inmate’ further dehumanizes and demoralizes them,” he said in Ms. Hochul’s press release.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 9, 2022
How can someone who loves you be okay with leaving things around for you to clean up, knowing it demoralizes you?
From Washington Post ● Jul. 26, 2021
Nothing demoralizes a boys' camp so quickly as proximity to a summer resort.
From Camping For Boys by Gibson, Henry William
If we only define people with dementia based on their deficits, we become demoralized and give in to pessimistic attitudes that inevitably deprive them of dignity and hope.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026
Now, after that latest detention, Garcia Venegas sounds demoralized.
From Salon ● May 24, 2026
It’s a tall task given the agency’s demoralized condition.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 8, 2026
“We were fragmented and demoralized, and then someone came along and imprisoned the person responsible for all of that,” Suárez said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 12, 2026
The Masks appeared demoralized by the destruction of their most powerful fetish.
From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer
The findings about the bat bridges were demoralizing for Altringham, who during his career appeared at several public inquiries into the impact of road-building projects on bats.
From Slate ● Apr. 28, 2026
The cost, while small, felt like what one worker described as the “cherry on top” of a demoralizing work culture beset by layoffs and overwhelming workloads.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 2026
Inside the Justice Department, the resolution was demoralizing: “He’s admitted he owes money, and we get money, but everything else about it stinks to high heaven,” said a current DOJ official familiar with the case.
From Salon ● Jan. 23, 2026
Interviewing is such a demoralizing process, especially when you get those sort of rug-pull questions.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 16, 2026
We appreciated the food, but it was a demeaning and demoralizing experience.
From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana
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.
