as in discouraging
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1
as in paralyzing
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 frustrating
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 degrading
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 demoralizing
Patrick Snell, CNN Money, 21 Feb. 2026
The demoralizing graffiti marring the main entrance to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 360 Lenox Ave.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 12 Feb. 2026
After a demoralizing six-game losing streak that looked to have ended their playoff chances, the Leafs now appear to have life.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
UConn shot 8-for-15 from 3-point range in the first half to Creighton’s 5-for-10, and went on a demoralizing 10-2 scoring run over the final two minutes of the half to take a 41-30 lead into the break.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 1 Feb. 2026
After a year of lackluster hiring and an increasingly demoralizing job-search process, many are sitting out the slog of finding new work altogether.
—Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 14 Jan. 2026
Winfrey shared the demoralizing experience in her 2017 cookbook, Food, Health, and Happiness.
—Avalon Hester, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
Jackson eventually set out to find space in a local shelter – a demoralizing process in which she was constantly met by closed doors and stifling bureaucracy.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 28 Dec. 2025
The Flames, coming off what could have been a demoralizing loss in Tampa, scored the next four goals and held on for a 5-3 win over the Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena.
—George Richards, Miami Herald, 29 Nov. 2025
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 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
On the inbound, Gary Payton found a cutting Fisher, who turned and heaved a miracle 18-footer at the buzzer, demoralizing the Spurs.
—The Athletic Nba Staff, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025
The big pass plays were demoralizing to a Kansas squad trying to engineer a comeback most of the game.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
On the surface, that defeat should have been demoralizing, but the reality was very different.
—Patrick Snell, CNN Money, 21 Feb. 2026
The demoralizing graffiti marring the main entrance to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 360 Lenox Ave.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 12 Feb. 2026
After a demoralizing six-game losing streak that looked to have ended their playoff chances, the Leafs now appear to have life.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
UConn shot 8-for-15 from 3-point range in the first half to Creighton’s 5-for-10, and went on a demoralizing 10-2 scoring run over the final two minutes of the half to take a 41-30 lead into the break.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 1 Feb. 2026
After a year of lackluster hiring and an increasingly demoralizing job-search process, many are sitting out the slog of finding new work altogether.
—Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 14 Jan. 2026
Winfrey shared the demoralizing experience in her 2017 cookbook, Food, Health, and Happiness.
—Avalon Hester, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
Jackson eventually set out to find space in a local shelter – a demoralizing process in which she was constantly met by closed doors and stifling bureaucracy.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 28 Dec. 2025
The Flames, coming off what could have been a demoralizing loss in Tampa, scored the next four goals and held on for a 5-3 win over the Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena.
—George Richards, Miami Herald, 29 Nov. 2025
Verb
Add in fashion, an industry practically built on demoralizing vulnerable girls, and what could go wrong?
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 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
On the inbound, Gary Payton found a cutting Fisher, who turned and heaved a miracle 18-footer at the buzzer, demoralizing the Spurs.
—The Athletic Nba Staff, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025
The big pass plays were demoralizing to a Kansas squad trying to engineer a comeback most of the game.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demoralizing
Adjective
-
Ninth-grader Kallan Forsyth said the strict dress code can feel discouraging, but earning sneaker day feels rewarding.—
Alexa Liacko,
CBS News,
2 Mar. 2026
-
My own watch party got off to a discouraging start.—
Steven P. Dinkin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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At age 14, Arias was caught in the crossfire of a shootout between rival gangs, paralyzing him from the waist down.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
8 Mar. 2026
-
In a region where weather swings from paralyzing ice storms to scorching summers, these elements carry weight.—
Mary Grace Granados
Special Contributor,
Dallas Morning News,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Mack and the Chargers’ defense pressured quarterbacks Jalen Hurts of the Eagles and Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs, frustrating them and keeping them out of their comfort zones.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
20 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Now both the stock and value of its human capital is degrading, and almost no one is doing anything to stop it.—
Allison Schrager,
Twin Cities,
8 Mar. 2026
-
These goals are not incompatible, of course, and all involve degrading Iran’s ability to project force beyond its borders.—
Marie-Rose Sheinerman,
The Atlantic,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Troy Rice, like most golfers, says few things are more disheartening than slicing the ball on a swing that feels good.—
Zachary Hansen,
AJC.com,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Even Vancouver’s younger developmental players appear to be stagnating, a disheartening undercurrent to these early days in Vancouver’s latest unintentional rebuilding effort.—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Clumsiness notwithstanding, bringing a criminal case against a journalist who was reporting on a protest is an authoritarian tactic—a means of frightening the press away from uncovering the truth.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
30 Jan. 2026
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But monks there complained that the slain king was walking around at night, frightening them with strange sounds.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Some, like Zdorovetskiy, have been accused of assaulting and humiliating their targets as viewers push for violence.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
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First there was Norwegian’s Sturla Holm Lægreid confessing to cheating on his girlfriend during a live interview after winning the bronze medal and tearfully begging her to come back (shockingly, humiliating his ex on national television didn’t work).—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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That alone would be disconcerting, but that the line (dubbed the Petrova Line, after the scientist who discovered it) seems to be linked to a new, gradual dimming of the sun?—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
10 Mar. 2026
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The only disconcerting note for reigning champion Bayern was the withdrawal at halftime of Manuel Neuer.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demoralizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demoralizing. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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