discourage
verb
dis·cour·age
di-ˈskər-ij 
-ˈskə-rij
discouraged; discouraging
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
discourager
noun
Synonyms
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
Youth were discouraged or forbidden from speaking their Native languages and forced to speak English.
—
Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2024
On the day of the New Hampshire primary this year, a deepfake of President Joe Biden’s voice tried to discourage people from coming to the polls.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2024
In February, New Hampshire residents received voicemails from an audio deepfake of Joe Biden, in which the President appeared to discourage them from voting.
—Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024
In addition to staff leaving the city, Story said the chaos discourages residents from attending meetings and sharing their opinions on important city issues, preventing staff from capturing a full picture of community wants and needs.
—Sierra Lopez, The Mercury News, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for discourage 
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Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2024
On the day of the New Hampshire primary this year, a deepfake of President Joe Biden’s voice tried to discourage people from coming to the polls.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2024
In February, New Hampshire residents received voicemails from an audio deepfake of Joe Biden, in which the President appeared to discourage them from voting.
—Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024
In addition to staff leaving the city, Story said the chaos discourages residents from attending meetings and sharing their opinions on important city issues, preventing staff from capturing a full picture of community wants and needs.
—Sierra Lopez, The Mercury News, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for discourage
Dictionary Entries Near discourage
Cite this Entry
“Discourage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discourage. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
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discourage
verb
dis·cour·age
dis-ˈkər-ij
-ˈkə-rij
discouraged; discouraging
1
: to lessen the courage or confidence of : dishearten
didn't let losing discourage me
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