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
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 Using equipment or machinery that could create a spark is also discouraged. — Tim Fang, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026 Advertising was minimal, and displays of enthusiasm were politely discouraged. — Ben Ryder Howe, Curbed, 21 Aug. 2026 People in certain fields face immense industry pressure to use AI in their work; those in other fields are strongly discouraged from doing so. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026 While unemployment is low, that’s only because those losing their jobs are leaving the workforce, too discouraged to look for a job, as few businesses are hiring. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026 That — those 18-year-olds, a lot of them are deeply discouraged about the country. — NBC news, 2 Aug. 2026 Before that, as writer McKay Coppins pointed out in The Atlantic a few months ago, gambling had been highly regulated and generally discouraged in the United States. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 27 July 2026 If drinking is to be further discouraged, governments should therefore take care to promote social interaction and community building in other, non-intoxicating ways. — Tim Brinkhof, Time, 23 July 2026
Verb
Idea futures would undermine the institutional clout of skeptical old physicists with tenure—monetizing, promoting, and rewarding bold claims discouraged by mainstream consensus. — Finn Brunton, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026 Washington has discouraged Chinese firms from investing in the United States and expanded the list of American products that cannot be exported to China. — Chad P. Bown, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2026 John Martin Reservoir State Park will remain open, but activities involving direct contact with water are discouraged, according to CPW. — Zach Hillstrom, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026 And the brouhaha over Piker’s singling out of Democratic House candidate Jeremy Moss on his livestream discouraged Moss from endorsing El-Sayed. — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 27 Aug. 2026 Ignorance hasn’t discouraged humans from trying to stop hangovers in millennia past. — Shayla Love, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026 This might have discouraged a sensible man from deciding to become a publisher. — Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2026 The lingering effects of high interest rates and Trump’s erratic trade policies discouraged companies from hiring in 2025. — Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026 Employees leave these conversations confused, discouraged and wondering why concerns were never addressed before the formal review process. — Lauren Russell, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 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 forbidden love leads the Jade Emperor to decree their separation on opposite sides of the Milky Way.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • To control the dangerous unfettered use of magic, an oversight council established ground rules on what is considered forbidden magic and the knowledge of its existence.
    — Kalai Chik, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 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
  • She was specifically frustrated with Sol claiming Bryce pulled Kayda for a chat four or five times in the villa, despite being coupled up with Trinity.
    — Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026
  • As a sports bettor, there are a lot of people frustrated by these two teams and pitchers from this season as the Giants take on the Pirates.
    — David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of frustrated
Verb
  • Trump may be taking a risk by leaning into this more, though, because Democrats may be dissuaded by his close involvement in the bill.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • This has not dissuaded residents from demanding action from city officials.
    — Noah Daly August 2, Idaho Statesman, 2 Aug. 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
  • Nice people may of course become irritated, disappointed, jealous, or defensive, since niceness does not require sainthood.
    — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • At the end of last season, Madrid fans were left quite disappointed following a rare trophy-less season for the club.
    — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 28 Aug. 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
  • Yet such acts haven’t deterred the evangelical Christians who make up much of the faithful segment of the MAGA base.
    — Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Yet, the 19-year-old sophomore from Jacksonville isn’t down or deterred.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of deterred

Browse Nearby Words

discourage
discouraged
discouragement
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Cite this Entry

“Discouraged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discouraged. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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