demoralize

verb

de·​mor·​al·​ize di-ˈmȯr-ə-ˌlīz 

ˌdē-,

-ˈmär-

demoralized; demoralizing; demoralizes

transitive verb

1

: to cause to turn aside or away from what is good or true or morally right : to corrupt the morals of

2

a

: to weaken the morale of : discourage, dispirit

were demoralized by the loss

b

: to upset or destroy the normal functioning of

foreclosures were further demoralizing an already desperate real-estate market

—F. D. Roosevelt

c

: to throw into disorder

demoralization

di-ˌmȯr-ə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

ˌdē-

-ˌmär-

noun

demoralizer

di-ˈmȯr-ə-ˌlī-zər 

ˌdē-

-ˈmär-

noun

demoralizingly

di-ˈmȯr-ə-ˌlī-ziŋ-lē 

ˌdē-

-ˈmär-

adverb

Synonyms

• emasculate
• paralyze
• undo
• unman
• unnerve
• unstring

Examples of demoralize in a Sentence

the mere sight of the forbidding cliffs demoralized the climbers

we refused to be demoralized by our humiliating defeat and vowed to come roaring back the following week

Recent Examples on the Web

Train service to the city was badly demoralized, only one train making the trip from Hutchinson to Minneapolis. —Kay Johnson, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025

Even so, using Reddit Answers is a demoralizing experience. —Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2025

The policy blitz is intended to demoralize and disorient ordinary Americans and force them into resignation—either literal or figurative—to the far right's designs for American government and democracy. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025

For now, Donald Trump’s comeback victory in 2024 is especially demoralizing to Democrats in ways that previous defeats (1988, 2004, 2016) were not. —Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 31 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1794, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

demoralize

verb

de·​mor·​al·​ize di-ˈmȯr-ə-ˌlīz 

-ˈmär-

1

: to make bad or evil

2

: to weaken in spirit or discipline

fear demoralized the army

demoralization

-ˌmȯr-ə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

-ˌmär-

noun

demoralizer

-ˈmȯr-ə-ˌlī-zər 

-ˈmär-

noun