as in despair
the state of being discouraged
I tried desperately to avoid discouragement after failing the bar exam twice
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Recent Examples of discouragement
And the emotional toll and anxiety keep mounting up: discouragement, depression, and a reluctance to even try anymore.
—
Robin Ryan, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
Economic cooling, policy discouragement of conspicuous consumption, and a younger generation’s shifting priorities have combined to erode growth assumptions.
—Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
There is also time delays and administrative inconvenience and burden at each step that creates more obstacles and discouragement to voting.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 13 Apr. 2025
But comparing your financial journey to others’ successes can lead to discouragement.
—Brian Kelly, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discouragement
Robin Ryan, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
Economic cooling, policy discouragement of conspicuous consumption, and a younger generation’s shifting priorities have combined to erode growth assumptions.
—Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
There is also time delays and administrative inconvenience and burden at each step that creates more obstacles and discouragement to voting.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 13 Apr. 2025
But comparing your financial journey to others’ successes can lead to discouragement.
—Brian Kelly, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discouragement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discouragement
Noun
-
So many of the adults who held our communities together have been lost to mass incarceration, to addictions—diseases of despair—as drugs have replaced jobs and hope in our neighborhoods, often turning them into war zones.—
Asha Bandele,
Essence,
25 June 2025
-
The best dystopian films are the most plausible ones, and Children Of Men feels all too real, from the political factions to the way humanity both descends into despair and miraculously comes together to help those who need it most.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2025
Noun
-
Six games into the 1981-82 season, Johnson expressed dismay over then-coach Paul Westhead, which paved the way for a 36-year-old Pat Riley to take over as head coach.—
James Jackson,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
-
Panthers players mobbed in the corner, while the Oilers watched in dismay.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Discouragement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discouragement. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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