1
as in to frustrate
to lessen the courage or confidence of
I didn't let losing discourage me from trying again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to dissuade
to steer (a person) from an activity or course of action
the higher fines may help discourage drivers from speeding on the highway
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of discourage
An alternative unemployment figure that counts discouraged workers and those holding part-time jobs for economic reasons edged up to 8%.
—
Jeff Cox, CNBC, 3 Apr. 2026
Hanging a decoy nest in your yard exploits this natural instinct and can discourage wasps from building nearby.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
Randall Duell’s firm discouraged parks from investing in costly roller coasters that appealed to teenagers but not other age demographics.
—John Haddad, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2026
The union is, of course, discouraging others from taking the job.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for discourage
Jeff Cox, CNBC, 3 Apr. 2026
Hanging a decoy nest in your yard exploits this natural instinct and can discourage wasps from building nearby.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
Randall Duell’s firm discouraged parks from investing in costly roller coasters that appealed to teenagers but not other age demographics.
—John Haddad, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2026
The union is, of course, discouraging others from taking the job.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for discourage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discourage
Verb
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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
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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
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Legislators seek solutions other than lawsuits For more than a decade, lawmakers have been chipping away at the ADA accessibility quagmire — working to incentivize businesses to comply with the law and to dissuade high-frequency litigants from suing so often.—
Kate Wolffe,
Sacbee.com,
3 Apr. 2026
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His father was a drummer who initially attempted to dissuade Gadson from entering into the music industry.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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After the war started, Rebin said that bombs would not deter him from driving to the capital once more to search for his son.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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Residents are also urged to secure garbage and avoid leaving food outside to deter wild animals.—
Eric Henderson,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The struggle for some dementia patients and caregivers just to get through the day can be daunting and stressful, but some programs in New York are helping alleviate stress.—
Cindy Hsu,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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After struggling against winning teams at the beginning of the season, the Lakers faced a daunting stretch of games that included Minnesota, Denver and Houston along with a six-game trip.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Some frighten people, while others delight them.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Discourage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discourage. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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