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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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

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 Those have avoided injuries to key players that can demoralize a team and affect a season. — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026 There was concern that demoralized and impoverished Europeans—artists and intellectuals especially—would be drawn to the blandishments of the Soviet Union. — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 Nelson, demoralized by the trade, missed nine games that season due to illness and resigned under pressure three months later in February 1995. — John Raby, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026 Nelson, demoralized by the trade, missed nine games that season because of illness and resigned under pressure three months later in February 1995. — John Raby, Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 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
  • Clancy jumped out of a window after strangling the children to death and was paralyzed in the fall.
    — Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Clancy is now partially paralyzed due to her suicide attempt and is being held at Tewksbury hospital.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of paralyze
Verb
  • This altruistic philosophy, however, doesn't discourage Obeid from partnering with, or promoting trendy food businesses.
    — Lyndsay C. Green, Freep.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Moving these forces back from the likely front would keep its options open and discourage risk-taking by eastern NATO members.
    — JENNIFER KAVANAGH, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of discourage
Verb
  • Much of the behavior on display is plainly harassment and bullying, often filmed without the subjects’ knowledge or consent and uploaded online to humiliate them further.
    — Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 19 Aug. 2026
  • In their first national title game, the Wildcats humiliated Oklahoma in the national semifinal by 44, and in their second, demoralized Michigan in the title game by 17.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of humiliate
Verb
  • The Basij boosted its presence during the war, and hard-liners have held nightly rallies in Tehran and other cities, drumming up support and intimidating any possible dissenters.
    — Lee Keath, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Civil rights organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union accused the department of attempting to intimidate the public by arming agents with another use-of-force option.
    — Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of intimidate
Verb
  • Conservative political analyst Melik Abdul agreed with Tindell, telling CNN as a Black Mississippi native he has been frustrated by how Crump has zeroed in on race in the Wells case.
    — Ryan Young, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Jolly has pitched himself to voters as someone offering a tent for Floridians who are independents, Republicans and Democrats frustrated with the status quo of a political zeitgeist that prioritizes polarization and stokes riots rather than uniting.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of frustrate
Verb
  • Iran is expanding its defense capabilities, an Iranian army commander said Wednesday, after much of the country’s equipment was degraded by US-Israeli strikes in the early days of the war.
    — Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The status of its nuclear program, degraded by bombing strikes in 2025, hasn't changed.
    — Susan Page, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of degrade
Verb
  • The aggressive approach deeply disrupted and frightened the participants.
    — Kimmie Gordon, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Penelope, too, is asked to occupy a landscape that frightens her, not only as a neurodivergent child in a neurotypical culture, but as a child now situated in an adult world.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of frighten
Verb
  • Even if Korea can maintain 2% economic growth over the next two decades, consumption growth gradually weakens and eventually turns negative, according to Goldman’s long-term modeling.
    — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Riggs said the Teamsters’ safety argument is weakened by the inconsistent safety record of human truck drivers, who have fallen asleep at the wheel or driven while distracted or otherwise impaired.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 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 1 Sep. 2026.

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