as in despair
the state of being discouraged
I tried desperately to avoid discouragement after failing the bar exam twice
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of discouragement
So feelings of self-doubt, frustration, and discouragement start to kick in.
—
Sho Dewan, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Hours later, coach Ben Johnson remained aggravated, still sorting through how to deal with his discouragement over a frustrating first quarter.
—Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
To state what is likely obvious to many Ars readers, this process does not involve any internal experience or emotion, so Gemini is not actually experiencing feelings of defeat or discouragement.
—Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 8 Aug. 2025
First, discouragement is not a good quality to base an investment decision on.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for discouragement
Sho Dewan, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Hours later, coach Ben Johnson remained aggravated, still sorting through how to deal with his discouragement over a frustrating first quarter.
—Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
To state what is likely obvious to many Ars readers, this process does not involve any internal experience or emotion, so Gemini is not actually experiencing feelings of defeat or discouragement.
—Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 8 Aug. 2025
First, discouragement is not a good quality to base an investment decision on.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for discouragement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discouragement
Noun
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Postpartum depression can cause a range of symptoms, including intense feelings of sadness, anxiety, or despair that keeps new moms from being able to go about their daily life, per the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).—
Korin Miller,
SELF,
28 Oct. 2025
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Business leaders should take note that anxiety without agency deepens despair.—
Melissa Jun Rowley,
Rolling Stone,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Lamenting the state of life in a post-pandemic world, Peck offers an alternative to the dismay and disconnection of modernity with a dreamy, escapist country melody that offers to make like the title and simply float off into the distance.—
Stephen Daw,
Billboard,
31 Oct. 2025
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Consequently, the creeping dismay of Henry Hill’s tablemates is at least as significant as Ray Liotta’s rising panic and fear.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Discouragement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discouragement. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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