1
as in to paralyze
to deprive of courage or confidence
the mere sight of the forbidding cliffs demoralized the climbers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of demoralize
One reason is that the fan base is demoralized after La Vinotinto was routed 6-3 by Colombia in the final qualifying date last month and failed to earn a World Cup playoff spot.
—
Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
Some talked about food prices and the cost of living; others talked about being demoralized by war.
—Eric Lach, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
That's left federal workers, already drained and demoralized by months of layoffs and funding cuts, scrambling to figure out how to cope with the possibility of weeks without pay and a new round of layoffs, according to nearly two dozen federal workers who reached out to NBC News.
—Christian Orozco, NBC news, 3 Oct. 2025
Citizens, environmental groups and tribal stakeholders are demoralized by this and the prioritization of industrial logging, embrace of pseudoscience, non-transparency, poor responsiveness to public and expert comments, and meetings held while stakeholders are at work.
—John P. O’Brien, Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demoralize
Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
Some talked about food prices and the cost of living; others talked about being demoralized by war.
—Eric Lach, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
That's left federal workers, already drained and demoralized by months of layoffs and funding cuts, scrambling to figure out how to cope with the possibility of weeks without pay and a new round of layoffs, according to nearly two dozen federal workers who reached out to NBC News.
—Christian Orozco, NBC news, 3 Oct. 2025
Citizens, environmental groups and tribal stakeholders are demoralized by this and the prioritization of industrial logging, embrace of pseudoscience, non-transparency, poor responsiveness to public and expert comments, and meetings held while stakeholders are at work.
—John P. O’Brien, Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demoralize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demoralize
Verb
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Cuban officials acknowledged at the end of last year the country’s economy is yet again paralyzed due to fuel shortages and power stations constantly breaking down.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
3 Jan. 2026
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This week's protests are the biggest in three years, since nationwide demonstrations triggered by the death of a young woman in custody in late 2022 paralyzed Iran for weeks, with rights groups reporting hundreds killed.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Despite being one of the top defenses all season, the last month has been discouraging.—
Austin Mock,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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This design helps prevent condensation buildup and discourages rodents and pests, while still reducing the risk of damage from falling debris during winter storms.—
Kamron Sanders,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And videotaping it to humiliate them.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Dec. 2025
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She had never been arrested before and felt humiliated when her mugshot was plastered all over the news after her arrest.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Ryan Thornton, 37, of Racine, was initially charged in October in Dane County with stalking and misdemeanor counts of intimidating a victim and disorderly conduct.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
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Salerno claims her team was disqualified from the following meet, and then began to face intimidating stares from the trans athlete at public events.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Games that are too easy bore older players, while overly complex games can frustrate younger ones.—
Clarissa Brincat,
Popular Science,
8 Jan. 2026
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But while Coogan racked up millions of views for his YouTube explainers about political figures like Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, he was frustrated by the hours of prep work that went into producing a single episode.—
Julia Black,
Vanity Fair,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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His mother previously told the Observer that his mental health degraded in the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Jan. 2026
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The information ecosystem is degrading more each moment.—
Damon Beres,
The Atlantic,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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These political executions are a callous attempt by the authorities to frighten and silence an increasingly restive population no longer willing to accept their corrupt and oppressive rule.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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Tens of millions of dollars have been spent to redefine reality and to convince our neighbors that this new age is something that should frighten them.—
TIME Video,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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With some estimates putting wave heights as much as 35 feet, weakened hatch covers would have been vulnerable to such waves.—
Stephen J. Beard,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
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The years of horrific violence have weakened Sudan, plunging its institutions into chaos and making its population more vulnerable and poorer.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Demoralize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demoralize. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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