demoralize
verb
de·mor·al·ize
di-ˈmȯr-ə-ˌlīz 
ˌdē-,
-ˈmär-
demoralized; demoralizing; demoralizes
1
: to cause to turn aside or away from what is good or true or morally right : to corrupt the morals of
2
a
: to weaken the morale of : discourage, dispirit
were demoralized by the loss
b
: to upset or destroy the normal functioning of
foreclosures were further demoralizing an already desperate real-estate market—
F. D. Roosevelt
F. D. Roosevelt
c
: to throw into disorder
Examples of demoralize in a Sentence
the mere sight of the forbidding cliffs demoralized the climbers
we refused to be demoralized by our humiliating defeat and vowed to come roaring back the following week
Recent Examples on the Web
Neon’s deal for thriller Together, Netflix’s for likely awards hopeful Train Dreams and A24’s for Eva Victor’s Sorry, Baby (also screening in Cannes) were the standouts of an otherwise demoralizing market.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2025
As a result, many controllers report that they are fatigued and demoralized, a combination that some fear could lead to a catastrophic mistake.
—Aaron Krolik, New York Times, 16 May 2025
This is because Kyiv's strikes tend to target Russia's oil facilities linked to its war effort, while Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities aim to demoralize the population in winter.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2025
VanVleet, Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason all demoralized the Warriors with their timely 3s.
—Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 3 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for demoralize
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Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2025
As a result, many controllers report that they are fatigued and demoralized, a combination that some fear could lead to a catastrophic mistake.
—Aaron Krolik, New York Times, 16 May 2025
This is because Kyiv's strikes tend to target Russia's oil facilities linked to its war effort, while Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities aim to demoralize the population in winter.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2025
VanVleet, Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason all demoralized the Warriors with their timely 3s.
—Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 3 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for demoralize
Cite this Entry
“Demoralize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demoralize. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
demoralize
verb
de·mor·al·ize
di-ˈmȯr-ə-ˌlīz
-ˈmär-
1
: to make bad or evil
2
: to weaken in spirit or discipline
fear demoralized the army
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