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
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
That guidance similarly discourages blanket exclusions and encourages individualized assessments that consider the nature of the offense, its recency, and its relevance to the job.
—
Alonzo Martinez, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
State wildlife biologists and Parks and Wildlife officials said killing the wolf is meant to change pack behavior by discouraging the predators from targeting livestock.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 30 May 2025
The fears weren’t just his own — those close to him discouraged him from taking the role.
—Lizzie Hyman, People.com, 29 May 2025
The only ones who could afford buying properties were investors and out-of-state buyers—but high prices, elevated mortgage rates and growing economic uncertainty have now discouraged these categories as well, and sales are dropping.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for discourage
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Alonzo Martinez, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
State wildlife biologists and Parks and Wildlife officials said killing the wolf is meant to change pack behavior by discouraging the predators from targeting livestock.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 30 May 2025
The fears weren’t just his own — those close to him discouraged him from taking the role.
—Lizzie Hyman, People.com, 29 May 2025
The only ones who could afford buying properties were investors and out-of-state buyers—but high prices, elevated mortgage rates and growing economic uncertainty have now discouraged these categories as well, and sales are dropping.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for discourage
Cite this Entry
“Discourage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discourage. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
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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