discourage
verb
dis·cour·age
di-ˈskər-ij 
-ˈskə-rij
discouraged; discouraging
1
: to deprive of courage or confidence : dishearten
was discouraged by repeated failure
2
a
: to hinder by disfavoring
trying to discourage absenteeism
b
: to dissuade or attempt to dissuade from doing something
tried to discourage her from going
discourager
noun
Examples of discourage in a Sentence
Try not to let losing discourage you.
The area's dry climate discourages agriculture.
He claims the new regulations will discourage investment.
That type of behavior ought to be discouraged.
Recent Examples on the Web
If things don’t go according to plan — like if your creative spark or romantic date night gets hit with a wild card — don’t be discouraged.
—
Valerie Mesa, People.com, 23 Aug. 2025
In high-growth markets, the outdated exemption can discourage homeowners from selling, impacting market fluidity.
—Collyn Wainwright, The Tennessean, 22 Aug. 2025
The last thing needed in Chicago, which isn’t as economically healthy as Washington was prior to Trump’s strongman maneuvers, is discouraging more people from patronizing bars, clubs and restaurants, as well as other attractions.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
In the weeks since the policy U-turn, Beijing has called the chip a security risk, summoned Nvidia for explanations and discouraged its companies from using it.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discourage
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Valerie Mesa, People.com, 23 Aug. 2025
In high-growth markets, the outdated exemption can discourage homeowners from selling, impacting market fluidity.
—Collyn Wainwright, The Tennessean, 22 Aug. 2025
The last thing needed in Chicago, which isn’t as economically healthy as Washington was prior to Trump’s strongman maneuvers, is discouraging more people from patronizing bars, clubs and restaurants, as well as other attractions.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
In the weeks since the policy U-turn, Beijing has called the chip a security risk, summoned Nvidia for explanations and discouraged its companies from using it.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discourage
Cite this Entry
“Discourage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discourage. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
discourage
verb
dis·cour·age
dis-ˈkər-ij
-ˈkə-rij
discouraged; discouraging
1
: to lessen the courage or confidence of : dishearten
didn't let losing discourage me
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