demoralize

1 to deprive of courage or confidence the mere sight of the forbidding cliffs demoralized the climbers Synonyms unnerve, emasculate, paralyze, undo, unman, unstringRelated Words debilitate, enervate, enfeeble, neuter, weaken; prostrate, sap, soften, tire, waste; frighten, intimidate, psych (out), scare, terrify, terrorize; daunt, discourage, dishearten, dismay, dispirit; craze, derange, madden, unbalance, unhinge; discompose, disquiet, disturb, faze, perturb, unsettle, upset, weird outNear Antonyms fortify, strengthen; embolden, encourage, heartenAntonyms nerve

2 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 chill, daunt, discourage, dishearten, dismay, dispirit, frustrate, unman, unnerveRelated Words browbeat, bully, cow, intimidate; depress, sadden, weigh; afflict, try; damp, dampen, deaden; distress, trouble; bother, irk, vex, worry; debilitate, enfeeble, undermine, weaken; frighten, horrify, scareNear Antonyms buoy (up), cheer, gladden; animate, enliven, invigorate; enforce, fortify, reinforce (also reenforce), strengthen; assure, reassure; boost, energize, excite, galvanize, inspire, lift, provoke, quicken, rally, stimulate, stirAntonyms embolden, encourage, hearten, nerve, steel

3 to lower in character, dignity, or quality felt society as a whole has been demoralized by the widespread availability of pornography Synonyms abase, bastardize, canker, cheapen, corrupt, debauch, degrade, demean, debase, deprave, deteriorate, lessen, pervert, poison, profane, prostitute, subvert, vitiate, warpRelated Words befoul, begrime, contaminate, defile, dilute, dirty, pollute, taint, thin, water down, weaken; descend; disgrace, dishonor, humble, humiliate, shame, take down; blemish, damage, deface, destroy, flaw, harm, hurt, impair, mar, ruin, spoil, stain, tarnish, wreck; depreciate, downgradeNear Antonyms dignify, exalt, honor; ameliorate, amend, better, enhance, enrich, improve, meliorate, perfect; clarify, clean, cleanse, purify, refine, restore; respectAntonyms elevate, ennoble, uplift