discourage

verb

dis·​cour·​age di-ˈskər-ij 

-ˈskə-rij

discouraged; discouraging

transitive verb

1

: to deprive of courage or confidence : dishearten

was discouraged by repeated failure

2

a

: to hinder by disfavoring

trying to discourage absenteeism

b

: to dissuade or attempt to dissuade from doing something

tried to discourage her from going

discourageable

di-ˈskər-i-jə-bəl 

-ˈskə-ri-

adjective

discourager noun

discouragingly

di-ˈskər-i-jiŋ-lē 

-ˈkə-ri-

adverb

Synonyms

• chill
• daunt
• demoralize
• dishearten
• dismay
• dispirit
• frustrate
• unman
• unnerve

Examples of discourage in a Sentence

Try not to let losing discourage you.

The area's dry climate discourages agriculture.

He claims the new regulations will discourage investment.

That type of behavior ought to be discouraged.

Recent Examples on the Web

This could discourage aggressive use, especially if there is concern over accountability or the risk of losing valuable hardware. —Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025

The primary reason for the 10-minute time limit is to discourage loitering, Heinzelman said. —Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2025

If that discourages you enough to quit, there are other careers built around financial stability. —Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 6 May 2025

Beth Czerwony, a registered dietitian with the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Human Nutrition, said that for adults, brown rice is so nutritious that you shouldn’t be discouraged from eating it. —The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English discoragen, from Middle French descorager, from Old French descoragier, from des- dis- + corage courage

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for discourage

• demurrage
• encourage
• burrage
• courage

Kids Definition

discourage

verb

dis·​cour·​age dis-ˈkər-ij 

-ˈkə-rij

discouraged; discouraging

1

: to lessen the courage or confidence of : dishearten

didn't let losing discourage me

2

a

: to make less likely or appealing : deter

laws that discourage speeding

b

: to advise against a course of action : dissuade

discouraged careless work

discouragingly

-iŋ-lē 

adverb