discourage

verb dis·cour·age \ dis-ˈkər-ij , -ˈkə-rij \

|Updated on: 5 Jun 2018

Examples: discourage in a Sentence

Definition of discourage

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

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discourageable

play \-jə-bəl\ adjective

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discourager

noun

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discouragingly

play \-jiŋ-lē\ adverb

See discourage defined for English-language learners

See discourage defined for kids

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 of discourage from the Web

Such subsidies encourage people to stay in work in order to qualify, and do not make workers more expensive and thus discourage hiring.

— The Economist, "If wages are to rise, workers need more bargaining power," 31 May 2018
These auto-play videos, rollovers and pop-ups can be a major nuisance, making content a challenge to read and discouraging some people from even trying.

— chris baraniuk, Scientific American, "Where Will the Ad versus Ad Blocker Arms Race End?," 31 May 2018
His silence challenges us to accept our own emotional complexity in ways that the whirring, buzzing, flashing simulacrum of global culture specifically discourages.

— heather havrilesky, The Cut, "Why Did We Ever Leave Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood?," 31 May 2018
In December 2017, the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona released the results of its investigation of 471 charter schools, which found that 56 percent had enrollment policies that clearly violate the law or discourage at-risk students.

— valerie strauss, Washington Post, "What and who is fueling the movement to privatize public education — and why you should care," 30 May 2018
Diamondbacks farm director Mike Bell knows what most probably assume is happening, that Tomas is discouraged and has a bad attitude about being in Reno.

— nick piecoro, azcentral, "Diamondbacks say slumping Yasmany Tomas working hard in minors," 26 May 2018
Through talk of fatigue, plus Kevin Love’s discouraging head injury and zero margin for error, the Cavs put together a convincing 109–99 win over the Celtics at home, forcing a winner-take-all bout in Boston on Sunday.

— jeremy woo, SI.com, "LeBron James Helps Cavs Stave Off Elimination, Sets Up Winner-Take-All Game 7," 25 May 2018
Yet both economists say higher rates are likely discouraging some existing homeowners who might otherwise sell their houses and buy larger ones.

— paul davidson, USA TODAY, "Mortgage interest rates 2018: Rates hit 7-year high, slow home sales," 24 May 2018
Question: Were you ever discouraged from pursuing music because of your gender?

— piet levy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "What women in Milwaukee's music scene say about #MeToo, FemFest impact and breaking down barriers," 23 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'discourage.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.