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
Allow the top two inches of soil to dry between watering, which helps discourage water-hungry weeds like sedges.
—
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
In the past year, the agency has denied or discouraged the approval applications of at least eight drugs, according to RTW Investments, after taking issue with data the companies used to support their applications.
—Jacob Pramuk,angelica Peebles, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2026
Higher consumer prices could discourage the Federal Reserve from lowering its benchmark interest rate, or even spur it to raise rates.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
Some Fed officials have specifically argued that last year’s weak hiring shows that borrowing costs are weighing on growth and discouraging companies from expanding.
—Matt Ott, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for discourage
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Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
In the past year, the agency has denied or discouraged the approval applications of at least eight drugs, according to RTW Investments, after taking issue with data the companies used to support their applications.
—Jacob Pramuk,angelica Peebles, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2026
Higher consumer prices could discourage the Federal Reserve from lowering its benchmark interest rate, or even spur it to raise rates.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
Some Fed officials have specifically argued that last year’s weak hiring shows that borrowing costs are weighing on growth and discouraging companies from expanding.
—Matt Ott, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for discourage
Cite this Entry
“Discourage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discourage. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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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