discourage

English

Etymology

From Middle French descourager (modern French décourager), from Old French descouragier, from des- and corage. By surface analysis, dis- +‎ courage.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /dɪsˈkʌɹɪd͡ʒ/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /dɪsˈkɝɪd͡ʒ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: dis‧cour‧age

Verb

discourage (third-person singular simple present discourages, present participle discouraging, simple past and past participle discouraged)

1. (transitive) To extinguish the courage of; to dishearten; to depress the spirits of; to deprive of confidence; to deject.

   Don't be discouraged by the amount of work left to do: you'll finish it in good time.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible,  (King James Version), London: Robert Barker, , →OCLC, Colossians 3:21:

     Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

2. (transitive) To persuade somebody not to do (something).
   • 1854, Abraham Lincoln., Notes for a Law Lecture:

     Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can.

Synonyms

• deter
• dissuade

Antonyms

• encourage

Translations

Noun

discourage (uncountable)

1. (rare) Lack of courage

Synonyms

• (lack of courage): cowardliness

Further reading

• “discourage”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.