discourage
verb (used with object)
to deprive of courage, hope, or confidence; dishearten; dispirit.
were discouraging
-
past progressiveof discourage.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Officials were discouraging non-essential travel, and some airlines were offering free rescheduling for people who planned to travel to Maui in the next few days.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 9, 2023
Elsewhere, Scarlett Johansson previously encouraged others in the film industry to "step back" from the organisation, while her Avengers co-star Mark Ruffalo wrote last year that the HFPA's reforms were "discouraging".
From BBC ● Jan. 9, 2023
Keenly aware that plus-sized, queer Latino men have been a rarity on mainstream TV, he has mentioned encounters with teachers and agents who were discouraging before his breakthrough.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2022
The results, when they were posted on the website, were discouraging.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 9, 2018
Anyway, his closest personal advisors were discouraging him from playing an active role in Washington.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
