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

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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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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

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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 The San Antonio Spurs had just lost Game 3 of the Western Conference finals in demoralizing fashion. — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 9 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 Colorado looked nothing like the team that demoralized opponents all year with its offensive and defensive prowess. — Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 27 May 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
  • Lindsay Clancy, who was paralyzed by the injuries from her suicide attempt, was charged with three counts of murder and strangulation in her children’s deaths.
    — Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • In fact, if the knife had landed a centimeter to the left, she would have been paralyzed.
    — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 17 July 2026
Definition of paralyze
Verb
  • Adjust your watering schedule accordingly and if at all possible, just apply water to the base of the plant and avoid getting the foliage wet to discourage diseases.
    — Dawn Pettinelli, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2026
  • Refreshing the water every day or two keeps it appealing for birds and helps discourage mosquitoes from breeding.
    — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 18 July 2026
Definition of discourage
Verb
  • Rudi Garcia then arguably drew up the game plan of the tournament, leaving Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku out of his starting XI and still managing to humiliate the hosts.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • The Fijians were tough and clinical in a huge turnaround from last weekend when they were humiliated by England 73-8 in Liverpool.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 July 2026
Definition of humiliate
Verb
  • Charlotte didn’t handle teams that push and use force to intimidate the opposition well this past season, often falling short in that department.
    — Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026
  • But, for those who are dipping their toe into these massive markets for the first time, the experience can be overwhelming, even intimidating.
    — Heather Bien, Southern Living, 18 July 2026
Definition of intimidate
Verb
  • In a 2022 request to interview Floris and Benavides, the senators said the episode frustrated and obstructed their oversight.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 19 July 2026
  • Surprisingly, Cape Verde were the one team able to frustrate them, earning a 0-0 draw in the opening match.
    — Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 17 July 2026
Definition of frustrate
Verb
  • The attacks, involving fighter aircraft, drones and naval vessels, struck missile and drone facilities, naval assets and coastal defense systems to further degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping, Centcom said.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 15 July 2026
  • Preserving the forests that remain, while restoring those that have been degraded, may ultimately prove far more valuable than chasing ever-larger tree-planting targets alone.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 14 July 2026
Definition of degrade
Verb
  • Fireworks can frighten animals and send them scattering, but Jackie and Shadow’s eaglets apparently are made of sterner stuff.
    — Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • In those moments, what frightened her most was not her own safety but the knowledge that her husband was up there somewhere, flying in the same sky swarming with fighter planes dropping their bombs on Tehran.
    — Mahsa Alimardani, Time, 6 July 2026
Definition of frighten
Verb
  • That makes the hot and cold sides quickly equalize, clearly weakening electricity generation.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 19 July 2026
  • The Kospi Index has tumbled 25% since its June peak, resulting in a $1 trillion wipeout that threatens to weaken its global clout.
    — Winnie Hsu, Fortune, 19 July 2026
Definition of weaken

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Cite this Entry

“Demoralize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demoralize. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of demoralize for Spanish Speakers

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