Discourage
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /dɪsˈkʌɹɪd͡ʒ/ · Part of speech verb
Quick meaning: Discourage is a verb meaning (transitive) To extinguish the courage of; to dishearten; to depress the spirits of; to deprive of confidence; to deject.
Meaning
(transitive) To extinguish the courage of; to dishearten; to depress the spirits of; to deprive of confidence; to deject.
More Meanings
- (transitive) To persuade somebody not to do (something).
- (rare) Lack of courage
Example Sentences
Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.
Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can.
Don't be discouraged by the amount of work left to do: you'll finish it in good time.
Word Forms
- discourages
- discouraging
- discouraged
Synonyms for discourage
Depending on context, synonyms include daunt, deter, dissuade, cowardliness, admonish, warn.
Antonyms for discourage
Common opposites include encourage.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include deter, admonish, warn, demotivate, frustrate, disadvantage.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.