1
as in frustrates
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 dissuades
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 discourages
The lengthy delay to the funeral has raised questions about how Khamenei's remains have been preserved, as Islamic tradition, anaylsts say, generally calls for prompt burial and discourages chemical embalming.
—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
2 July 2026
Bell on Wednesday reaffirmed his support for Florida’s institutional neutrality policies, which discourages university leaders from taking official positions on political issues in an effort to avoid chilling debate among students and faculty.
—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
1 July 2026
NestWatch discourages watering planters containing nests because this can lower the temperature of the eggs.
—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
29 June 2026
Creating a fake wasp nest creates a decoy, and discourages them from setting up in the area.
—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
The Spruce,
29 June 2026
Better solutions may exist, but the effort required to replace the ecosystem discourages change.
—
Philipp Schloter,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
The color yellow attracts yellow jackets and other pollinating insects, so the all-red design increases your chances of attracting hummingbirds and discourages bees and wasps from staking claim over the sweet nectar.
—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 June 2026
This improves air circulation around the rhizomes and discourages future rot.
—
Sj McShane,
Martha Stewart,
18 June 2026
That federal statute emphasizes rehabilitation over punishment for juvenile defendants, and as such strongly discourages pretrial detention for minors or conditioning their release on the posting of bail.
—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
15 June 2026
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
2 July 2026
Bell on Wednesday reaffirmed his support for Florida’s institutional neutrality policies, which discourages university leaders from taking official positions on political issues in an effort to avoid chilling debate among students and faculty.
—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
1 July 2026
NestWatch discourages watering planters containing nests because this can lower the temperature of the eggs.
—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
29 June 2026
Creating a fake wasp nest creates a decoy, and discourages them from setting up in the area.
—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
The Spruce,
29 June 2026
Better solutions may exist, but the effort required to replace the ecosystem discourages change.
—
Philipp Schloter,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
The color yellow attracts yellow jackets and other pollinating insects, so the all-red design increases your chances of attracting hummingbirds and discourages bees and wasps from staking claim over the sweet nectar.
—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 June 2026
This improves air circulation around the rhizomes and discourages future rot.
—
Sj McShane,
Martha Stewart,
18 June 2026
That federal statute emphasizes rehabilitation over punishment for juvenile defendants, and as such strongly discourages pretrial detention for minors or conditioning their release on the posting of bail.
—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
15 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discourages
Verb
-
What frustrates me is when the CTA isn’t there.
-
Part of what fascinates and frustrates as regards Ginsberg is that for all of those thick anthologies, propriety forces me to concede that many of the poems simply aren’t that good.
Verb
-
Still, with the new lottery system that dissuades (if not eliminates) tanking, the gimmes seem to be gone in the East.
-
Hugo dissuades him—for unstated reasons that eventually prove pivotal—from putting the material online.
Verb
-
Any passenger who assaults, threatens, intimidates or interferes with airline crew members can lead to penalties of up to $43,658 per violation, according to the FAA.
-
The aura of the classical guitar intimidates me.
Verb
-
The outbreak exacerbates existing vulnerabilities like conflict, malnutrition, and low vaccination rates, while fear deters routine healthcare.
-
While cabbage is susceptible to pests, surrounding it with chives effectively deters unwanted visitors such as aphids, cabbage moths, flea beetles, and slugs.
Cite this Entry
“Discourages.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discourages. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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