1
as in prohibited
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2
as in disheartened
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in frustrated
to lessen the courage or confidence of
I didn't let losing discourage me from trying again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dissuaded
to steer (a person) from an activity or course of action
the higher fines may help discourage drivers from speeding on the highway
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of discouraged
Stephen Groves, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
Outdoor burning is discouraged.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 28 Mar. 2026
Iranians of diverse religious faiths mark Nowruz even though the hard-line Iranian regime has at times discouraged festivities.
—Amy Taxin, Arkansas Online, 20 Mar. 2026
New gardeners sometimes become discouraged in their first year, due to overwhelming demands, unrealistic expectations, and disappointing results.
—Charlie Vargas, Oc Register, 18 Mar. 2026
Iranians of diverse religious faiths mark Nowruz even though the hard-line Iranian regime has at times discouraged festivities.
—ABC News, 18 Mar. 2026
Outdoor burning is strongly discouraged during these periods.
—Newsroom Meteorologist, Austin American Statesman, 16 Mar. 2026
So, would that qualify him as anxious, but not discouraged?
—CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
But throughout most of America’s history, until recently, gambling was heavily regulated and generally discouraged.
—The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2026
Her childhood cultural traditions often discouraged marking the body.
—Panashe Matemba-Mutasa, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
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
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
According to that agreement, West’s lawyer and government prosecutors agreed that the conspiracy’s goal was to interfere in the campaign of Mobolade’s opponent and create the belief that Mobolade was being discouraged from running because of his race.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Excessive drinking—which often resulted in mischief and vandalism—was discouraged, with newspapers calling for greater discipline, regulation, and surveillance.
—Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 1 Apr. 2026
During interviews with state investigators, Kids R Kids employees said they were discouraged from reporting incidents to the state and that staff were selected based on their willingness to accept a low wage rather than qualifications or temperament.
—Lina Ruiz
april 1, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Apr. 2026
Mention cutting toxic people out of your life (but don’t reveal that the people in question are your friends who, at lunch, discouraged you from posting that).
—Emily Menez, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Those searching for a way out of the shutdown seemed discouraged.
—Stephen Groves, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
Outdoor burning is discouraged.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 28 Mar. 2026
Iranians of diverse religious faiths mark Nowruz even though the hard-line Iranian regime has at times discouraged festivities.
—Amy Taxin, Arkansas Online, 20 Mar. 2026
New gardeners sometimes become discouraged in their first year, due to overwhelming demands, unrealistic expectations, and disappointing results.
—Charlie Vargas, Oc Register, 18 Mar. 2026
Iranians of diverse religious faiths mark Nowruz even though the hard-line Iranian regime has at times discouraged festivities.
—ABC News, 18 Mar. 2026
Outdoor burning is strongly discouraged during these periods.
—Newsroom Meteorologist, Austin American Statesman, 16 Mar. 2026
So, would that qualify him as anxious, but not discouraged?
—CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
But throughout most of America’s history, until recently, gambling was heavily regulated and generally discouraged.
—The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
As homeownership continues to shift further out of reach, people are discouraged from saving enough for a down payment, the authors warned.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2026
Her childhood cultural traditions often discouraged marking the body.
—Panashe Matemba-Mutasa, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
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
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
According to that agreement, West’s lawyer and government prosecutors agreed that the conspiracy’s goal was to interfere in the campaign of Mobolade’s opponent and create the belief that Mobolade was being discouraged from running because of his race.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Excessive drinking—which often resulted in mischief and vandalism—was discouraged, with newspapers calling for greater discipline, regulation, and surveillance.
—Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 1 Apr. 2026
During interviews with state investigators, Kids R Kids employees said they were discouraged from reporting incidents to the state and that staff were selected based on their willingness to accept a low wage rather than qualifications or temperament.
—Lina Ruiz
april 1, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Apr. 2026
Mention cutting toxic people out of your life (but don’t reveal that the people in question are your friends who, at lunch, discouraged you from posting that).
—Emily Menez, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discouraged
Adjective
-
There is, however, room for questions about where the line between prohibited and acceptable political involvement will fall in practice.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
-
The list of prohibited and restricted items, as found on the CBP website, includes alcohol, biological materials, firearms, food and produce such as fruits and vegetables, soil, wildlife, fish, and gold, among other items.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
And whose heart didn’t swell with pride when the disheartened Malinin immediately pulled himself together to congratulate Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan, who skated away with the top honors?—
Donna Vickroy,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Just like the no-keyboard iPhone, the announcement initially frustrated some users .—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Leo’s reserve frustrated those who wanted to enlist the first American pope as the primary antagonist to the American president.—
Francis X. Rocca,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
She wasn’t dissuaded two years later — and mid-renovation — when a $475 million Target distribution center was announced for the small city, creating an industrial foothold in a mostly agrarian area.—
Zachary Hansen,
AJC.com,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Trump could have dissuaded the Israelis once again.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Less than an hour’s drive from the holiday markets, on the way to Salla and its forbidden frontier, hundreds of Finnish soldiers are training to repel any future Russian invasion.—
Liam Denning,
Bloomberg,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Women, whether secular or religious, remain forbidden to read, write or tell stories.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
There’s no way to describe what happens next except as love disappointed.—
Alice Kaplan,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Janet got right back in her car and had to deal with a disappointed and screaming child all the way home who just wanted to swim in a pool with his friends and not have to deal with the damn drama.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The community wasn’t daunted by the warmth of the day, with crowds lining the streets to watch as floats, marching bands, equestrian groups, community organizations and more marched past, celebrating San Juan Capistrano and the area’s history.—
Heather McRea,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
-
She was not daunted by this fact.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Even with the recent lull in ticket sales from Chinese releases, studios aren’t deterred from launching titles in the region.—
Sarah Whitten,
CNBC,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Squirrels find the rhizome roots distasteful and are deterred by the highly perfumed scent of the blooms.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Discouraged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discouraged. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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