discourage

verb

dis·​cour·​age di-ˈskər-ij 

-ˈskə-rij

discouraged; discouraging

transitive verb

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

discourageable

di-ˈskər-i-jə-bəl 

-ˈskə-ri-

adjective

discourager noun

discouragingly

di-ˈskər-i-jiŋ-lē 

-ˈkə-ri-

adverb

Synonyms

• chill
• daunt
• demoralize
• dishearten
• dismay
• dispirit
• frustrate
• unman
• unnerve

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

While global finance institutions and investors have long been interested in diversifying to China, Beijing’s strict controls on capital outflows and relatively opaque system have discouraged large-scale buying of mainland China assets. —Lee Ying Shan,evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 25 June 2025

Recent research found that 340B-eligible hospitals secured substantial profit margins on outpatient drugs and that the program discouraged biosimilar adoption, favoring expensive brand-name drugs with higher 340B profit margins. —Ge Bai, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025

Meanwhile, rent control and other well-meaning interventions often backfire by discouraging investment and reducing housing availability in the long run. —Alexander Frei, Boston Herald, 23 June 2025

Policy proposals by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. such as discouraging vaccinations can only drive healthcare costs higher. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English discoragen, from Middle French descorager, from Old French descoragier, from des- dis- + corage courage

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for discourage

• demurrage
• encourage
• burrage
• courage

Kids 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

2

a

: to make less likely or appealing : deter

laws that discourage speeding

b

: to advise against a course of action : dissuade

discouraged careless work

discouragingly

-iŋ-lē 

adverb