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
Bailey made headlines leading up to the draft by reportedly discouraging Philadelphia from selecting him, and even attempted to do the same with Utah.
—
Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 July 2025
President Snow, facing growing unrest across the nation as a result of the pair’s joint victory, demands that Katniss and Peeta pretend to be in love during their Victory Tour to discourage any rebellions.
—Kelly Martinez Published, EW.com, 5 July 2025
The quality of research would likely decline as studies that don’t align with government narratives might be sidelined, discouraging critical thinking and limiting research diversity.
—A.j. Russo, Baltimore Sun, 3 July 2025
The best way to discourage cyberbullying and harassment from fans is for reality TV shows to model positive behavior through filming and production, and to communicate that message throughout the season and outside the show, Oppliger said.
—Adrianna Rodriguez, USA Today, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for discourage
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Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 July 2025
President Snow, facing growing unrest across the nation as a result of the pair’s joint victory, demands that Katniss and Peeta pretend to be in love during their Victory Tour to discourage any rebellions.
—Kelly Martinez Published, EW.com, 5 July 2025
The quality of research would likely decline as studies that don’t align with government narratives might be sidelined, discouraging critical thinking and limiting research diversity.
—A.j. Russo, Baltimore Sun, 3 July 2025
The best way to discourage cyberbullying and harassment from fans is for reality TV shows to model positive behavior through filming and production, and to communicate that message throughout the season and outside the show, Oppliger said.
—Adrianna Rodriguez, USA Today, 3 July 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 13 Jul. 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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