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 of discourage

• frustrate
• intimidate
• daunt
• frighten

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

Foreign visitors could be discouraged from visiting Nepal as well, impacting an industry that accounts for about 7% of the country’s GDP and more than one million jobs. — Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026

The practice is discouraged by the British Board of Boxing Control (BBBofC), but not explicitly banned. — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026

In early September, in a gesture of compromise towards the industry, Suno added audio watermarking so its songs can be identified off-platform, and set monthly download caps meant to discourage flooding streaming services with AI tracks. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2026

The census, which is administered every 10 years and is next set for 2030, is also considering asking about each respondent’s citizenship, a departure from past practice, which could discourage the participation of immigrants. — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026

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