as in despair
the state of being discouraged
I tried desperately to avoid discouragement after failing the bar exam twice
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of discouragement
So feelings of self-doubt, frustration, and discouragement start to kick in.
—
Sho Dewan, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Hours later, coach Ben Johnson remained aggravated, still sorting through how to deal with his discouragement over a frustrating first quarter.
—Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
To state what is likely obvious to many Ars readers, this process does not involve any internal experience or emotion, so Gemini is not actually experiencing feelings of defeat or discouragement.
—Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 8 Aug. 2025
First, discouragement is not a good quality to base an investment decision on.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for discouragement
Sho Dewan, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Hours later, coach Ben Johnson remained aggravated, still sorting through how to deal with his discouragement over a frustrating first quarter.
—Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
To state what is likely obvious to many Ars readers, this process does not involve any internal experience or emotion, so Gemini is not actually experiencing feelings of defeat or discouragement.
—Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 8 Aug. 2025
First, discouragement is not a good quality to base an investment decision on.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for discouragement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discouragement
Noun
-
Every adrenaline rush comes with a chaser of low rage and simmering despair.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
11 Nov. 2025
-
His face could collapse in shame, his jaw sliding sideways; neither Goya nor Ensor painted despair more vividly.—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Summit players fell to the turf in dismay; Seguin players jubilantly sprinted around the visitor’s turf.—
Cody Thorn,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Nov. 2025
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See video … MICHELLE BACKUS – Zohran Mamdani’s fiery speech surprises some, to the dismay of others.—
,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Discouragement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discouragement. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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