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
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
My uncle taught me to keep some distance, and not to listen too much to the outside voices to avoid being demoralized.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 25 Feb. 2026
Last year, approximately three hundred and fifty-two thousand civil servants left their jobs, fulfilling one of the Administration’s stated goals of dismantling the government bureaucracy and demoralizing the federal workforce.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for demoralize
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
My uncle taught me to keep some distance, and not to listen too much to the outside voices to avoid being demoralized.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 25 Feb. 2026
Last year, approximately three hundred and fifty-two thousand civil servants left their jobs, fulfilling one of the Administration’s stated goals of dismantling the government bureaucracy and demoralizing the federal workforce.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for demoralize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demoralize
Verb
-
Williams was paralyzed in the crash.—
Karen Morfitt,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Inky Johnson left college football due to an injury that paralyzed his right arm.—
Haley Sawyer,
Daily News,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The income that a proficiency with needle and thread commands relative to the skills needed and the physical toll of bending over detailed work for hours likely discourages teenagers and young adults from heeding Bae’s advice, fashion industry experts said.—
Anne D’Innocenzio,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
-
In 2019, the odds for the three worst teams were flattened, as a way to discourage teams from racing to the bottom.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Rockies have been humiliated before in their first home game, but never as badly as this.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The leadership of the country that has threatened the stability and prosperity of the world will eventually be ousted, disempowered and humiliated.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Forney girls soccer team is filled with underclassmen, but the young Jackrabbits were not at all intimidated by Southlake Carroll and its deep tradition.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Apr. 2026
-
At the Greeley plant, union officials said the company tried to intimidate workers to quit the union in one-on-one meetings, union general counsel Matt Shechter said.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Despite that, Bunnell and his neighbor, Tom Williams, who received the same notice, are frustrated by the inconvenience.—
Luzdelia Caballero,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Homeowners across Central Florida have been frustrated to find their piles of dead leaves, branches and plants — victims of February’s hard freeze — still sitting on their curbs because waste haulers haven’t picked it up on time.—
Ryan Gillespie,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Summary sourcing, however, degraded with Gemini 3.—
Jon Martindale,
PC Magazine,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Israel appears to have taken the lead on assassinating even low-level figures linked to Iran’s nuclear program while systematically degrading the knowledge centers that could prove useful in the future.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Some frighten people, while others delight them.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The marsupial escaped from Sunshine Farm in Necedah, a village about 90 miles away from Madison, on March 25, after being frightened by barking dogs, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Hungary is a major importer of Russian energy and the sanctions would have impacted the country's already weakening economy.—
Hannah Demissie,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
But instead, the resolution was further weakened to eliminate any reference to Security Council authorization — which is an order for action — and limit its provisions to the Strait of Hormuz.—
Greg Norman-Diamond,
FOXNews.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demoralize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demoralize. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
