demoralize

verb

di-ˈmȯr-ə-ˌlīz How to pronounce demoralize (audio)
Definition of demoralizenext
1
as in to paralyze
to deprive of courage or confidence the mere sight of the forbidding cliffs demoralized the climbers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of demoralize But watching most of the progress reverse is demoralizing enough to feel like failure. — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2026 The San Antonio Spurs had just lost Game 3 of the Western Conference finals in demoralizing fashion. — Tim Rohan, NBC news, 8 June 2026 No question, the end of the season was deflating and demoralizing. — Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 5 June 2026 Where Barbie was forced to reconsider Barbieland’s values after paying a visit to the real world, Adam is forced to uphold the real world’s values after being zapped back to a fantasyland whose greatest warriors have been utterly demoralized by their insufficient physical force. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 2 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for demoralize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demoralize
  1. paralyze
  2. discourage
  3. humiliate
  4. intimidate
  5. frustrate
  6. degrade
  7. frighten
  8. weaken
Verb
  • Prosecutors say after killing her children, Clancy cut her wrists and neck and jumped from a second-story window, leaving her partially paralyzed.
    — Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Some venoms paralyze respiratory muscles, while others destroy tissue, disrupt blood clotting, damage kidneys, or trigger cardiovascular collapse.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of paralyze
Verb
  • Lesley Lewis, who has run the French House pub in Soho for 37 years, said discouraging that tradition would only drive customers to other parts of the city.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Pushing for transparency and justice for victims can be discouraging, as files continue to be released with victims' names but often without those of the accused.
    — Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of discourage
Verb
  • After being publicly humiliated by Daemon Targaryen and lured to switch sides (with his dragon) to the Greens by Ormund Hightower, party animal Ulf is still drunk and MIA when the battle starts.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Each action can increase the pressure on the person being humiliated.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of humiliate
Verb
  • Lemon and several other journalists have been charged with violating the FACE Act, which prohibits people from intimidating or interfering with individuals’ constitutional right to the freedom of religion.
    — Todd Spangler, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Survivor Series 2003 featured a match starring the gigantic, intimidating wrestler known as The Undertaker.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of intimidate
Verb
  • Two-thirds of Americans are open to a new agenda and are frustrated with the status quo.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • But if the customer leaves frustrated, confused, or forced to restart with a different channel, the automation didn't succeed.
    — Amit Mathradas, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of frustrate
Verb
  • If one component degrades over time, the adjacent layers continue to block the movement of radioactive particles toward the surface.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The suspects are alleged to have been connected to the spraying of chemicals across 10,180 hectares (about 25,200 acres) of native forest in the city of Uruara to degrade the vegetation before cutting down the trees.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of degrade
Verb
  • Taylor contends the company welcomes more FDA scrutiny, and cautions against letting the outbreak frighten consumers away from eating fresh fruits and vegetables.
    — Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • Studios that let a government inquiry frighten them into caution are not managing risk.
    — Christopher Racster, IndieWire, 23 July 2026
Definition of frighten
Verb
  • However, consuming large amounts—such as those used in studies where up to 1/2 cup was consumed daily—can start to weaken and damage tooth enamel.
    — MD Published, Verywell Health, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Apple’s market dominance is built around September; moving away from tradition would upset the ecosystem supporting the launch and risk weakening the iPhone’s dominant position.
    — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of weaken

Browse Nearby Words

demoralization
demoralize
demoralized
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Demoralize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demoralize. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on demoralize

Nglish: Translation of demoralize for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gnomic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All