discouraged 1 of 2

adjective

1
as in prohibited

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2
as in disheartened

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Dissimilar Words

discouraged

2 of 2

verb

past tense of discourage
1
as in frustrated
to lessen the courage or confidence of I didn't let losing discourage me from trying again

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dissuaded
to steer (a person) from an activity or course of action the higher fines may help discourage drivers from speeding on the highway

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of discouraged
Adjective
That’s despite uncertainty about the economy and recent surveys showing Americans have become more discouraged about their finances. — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026 The hotel is very grown up, and therefore not exactly relaxing with very young kids (or, at least, not with my kid)—although children are not discouraged. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026 Much of the general public, however, hasn’t caught up to these developments, which remain strongly discouraged and criticized by the abstinence support group space — especially proponents of AA. — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026 An eighth grader feeling discouraged after spring break, who becomes excited about attending because an airline pilot is presenting at his school. — Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026 That won't make the long flight home any easier, but the season is too new for the Rams to be truly discouraged. — ABC News, 11 Sep. 2026 After months of working toward the end of chemotherapy, hearing that another treatment may be recommended can be a lot to absorb, leaving patients potentially discouraged and confused. — Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 9 Sep. 2026 Young reporters like Steinem were allowed to write stories only about women's topics, such as recipes and clothes; writing about issues that actually influenced women's lives was discouraged. — Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026 For an heir to the throne, however, marrying a woman without royal blood or a noble title was discouraged. — Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
Worshipers were discouraged from lingering outside synagogues after services. — Ariella Noveck, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026 That kind of existential drive can’t be discouraged by an extra 75 basis points of bond interest. — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026 If last week’s Atlanta News First debate discouraged direct confrontations, Tuesday’s Atlanta Press Club showdown gave the two rivals room to unload on each other. — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 14 Oct. 2026 Critics argued the rules discouraged students from coming forward with abuse allegations. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 When several of the women refused to surrender the children to Xuan and Zhang after abuse allegations surfaced last year, Majerus said, the couple’s attorney discouraged them from fighting for custody. — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026 You would likely be discouraged from doing so, and sometimes restrained by the governing laws. — Ozan Ozerk, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026 According to Vinatieri, Democrats are discouraged by Shapiro’s changing data center stance. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026 The question the hosts were debating, by pointing to a specific subset of one immigrant group, was precisely how incompatible Indian Americans were with American culture, and by what degree Indian immigration should be discouraged. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discouraged
  1. forbidden
  2. disheartened
  3. frustrated
  4. dissuaded
  5. disallowed
  6. disappointed
  7. daunted
  8. deterred
Adjective
  • Their alternating stories portray a Europe that exploits gifted children, while rigid class and gender expectations leave both protagonists struggling to pursue forbidden ambitions.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • As a forbidden attraction grows between the two men, tragedy unleashes supernatural forces upon their deeply religious community.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of forbidden
Adjective
  • And whose heart didn’t swell with pride when the disheartened Malinin immediately pulled himself together to congratulate Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan, who skated away with the top honors?
    — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
Definition of disheartened
Verb
  • Now, however, a number of fans are frustrated with how the team has gone about honoring the terms.
    — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • In the comments section, one resident was frustrated but circumspect.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of frustrated
Verb
  • Analysts have said the film was challenging to market, given a major twist in the plot, and that Cruise’s nearly unrecognizable appearance could have dissuaded his fan base from coming out to support the film.
    — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The city’s leaders proposed installing parking meters as long ago as 1946 — until the chamber dissuaded them from doing so, according to an account on the Golden history website Golden Today.
    — John Aguilar, Denver Post, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of dissuaded
Adjective
  • Jailbreaking involves persuading a model to ignore its safety rules and generate disallowed content.
    — Nirmal Jingar, Forbes.com, 23 Feb. 2026
Definition of disallowed
Adjective
  • In the Vatican, some pilgrims were worried, hopeful and a little disappointed.
    — Claudio Lavanga, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026
  • There were plenty of disappointed and angry members of Gator Nation on Saturday after Florida's surprising loss to South Carolina in Gainesville, but none may have been more distraught than a young member of Jon Sumrall's own household.
    — Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of disappointed
Verb
  • In the same interview, the singer explained why she wasn’t daunted by the prospect of acting alongside Oscar-winning heavyweights like Jane Fonda and Field.
    — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Shot on a real boat out at sea, with the children contracted for no more than four hours of filming a day and a dangerously small hamster on deck, some filmmakers might have been a little daunted by what Ryan and her crew were attempting to do.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of daunted
Verb
  • Officials said the operation deterred criminal activity and strengthened coordination but released no before-and-after data showing whether drone traffic subsequently declined.
    — Armando Regil Velasco, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • For Beccaria, an execution’s fleeting spectacle deterred less effectively than lifelong penal servitude.
    — Maurizio Valsania, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of deterred

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discouraged
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Cite this Entry

“Discouraged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discouraged. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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