discourage

verb

dis·​cour·​age di-ˈskər-ij How to pronounce discourage (audio)
-ˈskə-rij
discouraged; discouraging
Synonyms of discourage

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 How to pronounce discourage (audio)
-ˈskə-ri-
adjective
discourager noun
discouragingly
di-ˈskər-i-jiŋ-lē How to pronounce discourage (audio)
-ˈkə-ri-
adverb

Synonyms of discourage

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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
One Discord user posted a threat to hand out hundreds of fliers at the store’s physical Sonny Angel launch event later that morning, falsely claiming that owners supported ICE to discourage would-be shoppers. — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026 The law has in some cases discouraged people, and especially women, from wanting to marry at a time when Japan’s birth rate has fallen to dangerously low levels. — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026 Chan was undeterred by YouTube policies discouraging people from spamming the platform with quick-turn content. — Max Tani, semafor.com, 2 Sep. 2026 Couple that with the effort required to turn it, and its unnecessarily large size, and you’re left with a vehicle that paradoxically can hold its own in the twisties, but almost discourages you from finding out how well. — Adam Ismail, The Drive, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for discourage

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of discourage was in the 15th century

Rhymes for discourage

See All Rhymes for discourage

Browse Nearby Words

discount rate
discourage
discouragedly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Discourage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discourage. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

discourage

verb
dis·​cour·​age dis-ˈkər-ij How to pronounce discourage (audio)
-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 How to pronounce discourage (audio)
adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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