1
as in to paralyze
to deprive of courage or confidence
the mere sight of the forbidding cliffs demoralized the climbers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to discourage
to lessen the courage or confidence of
we refused to be demoralized by our humiliating defeat and vowed to come roaring back the following week
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3
as in to humiliate
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
felt society as a whole has been demoralized by the widespread availability of pornography
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of demoralize
The effort to remove the soldier's wife, who was born in Honduras and remained in a federal immigration detention center Monday, has drawn backlash from military family advocates who called the detention demoralizing in a time of war and warned that deporting spouses could undermine recruitment.
—
Jack Brook, ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
Though my teammates were dehydrated and slightly red in the summer heat, they were not demoralized.
—Gaby Del Valle, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Annual ritual causes anxiety Many have called the annual ritual disruptive to schools and demoralizing to the employees who receive them.
—Edsource, Daily News, 16 Mar. 2026
Creating uncertainty in Iran’s military should help demoralize officers and inspire defections.
—Dennis Ross, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for demoralize
Jack Brook, ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
Though my teammates were dehydrated and slightly red in the summer heat, they were not demoralized.
—Gaby Del Valle, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Annual ritual causes anxiety Many have called the annual ritual disruptive to schools and demoralizing to the employees who receive them.
—Edsource, Daily News, 16 Mar. 2026
Creating uncertainty in Iran’s military should help demoralize officers and inspire defections.
—Dennis Ross, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for demoralize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demoralize
Verb
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Though brief, Yoon’s martial law decree threw the country into a severe political crisis, paralyzing politics and high-level diplomacy and rattling financial markets.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Apr. 2026
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Though she is paralyzed from the neck down, Lucy still has some mobility in her arms, the Post reported.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And in recent years, the teams have been deployed to discourage fare-skipping on local buses as well.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
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Over time, patterns like these have discouraged Black residents from looking into buying a home, said Shelia Russell-Williams, president of the Real Estate Brokers of Baltimore.—
Lily Carey,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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One such accusation resulted in a federal lawsuit filed in September in which the former head of the Colorado Division for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind alleged DHS management humiliated and discriminated against him before forcing him out of his job.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
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According to the suit, she was humiliated by fellow staff members and belittled due to her race, country of origin, religion and immigration status.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Installing a pea gravel patio yourself may sound a bit intimidating.—
Tessa Cooper,
The Spruce,
25 Apr. 2026
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Solo dining can be intimidating, but a recent rise in parties of one is changing that.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The letter was about a 50-year-old who was frustrated that a 70-year-old friend didn’t pick up the phone when called.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
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Bianco grew visibly frustrated several times over the debate’s format and his opponents’ answers.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Some mineral sunscreen manufacturers add UV filters such as butyloctyl salicylic acid and ethylhexyl methoxycrylene to prevent SPF levels from degrading in zinc oxide, which Downs has linked to potential cancer risks and coral toxicity.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
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Even certain nonstick surfaces can degrade over time.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Several critics said the legislation introduces too many unknowns, adding that with the artificial intelligence legislation also under consideration, Connecticut is moving towards regulations that could frighten companies looking to grow in the state.—
P.R. Lockhart,
Hartford Courant,
24 Apr. 2026
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Lee Cronin was both flattered and frightened when Jason Blum suggested titling his The Mummy reimagining as Lee Cronin’s The Mummy.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The deeper the rifts between the United States and Europe over Iran, the greater the chances of weakening the NATO alliance.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
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During his appearances on Capitol Hill this month, Secretary Kennendy was grilled about the administration's defense of the pesticide industry and weakening of protections against mercury pollution, another issue that Kennedy had worked on as an advocate.—
Will Stone,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demoralize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demoralize. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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