discourage[verb]Synonyms:- dishearten, dampen, deject, demoralize, depress, dispirit, intimidate, overawe, put a damper on
- put off, deter, dissuade, inhibit, prevent, talk out of
Antonyms: encourage
Contrasted words: cheer, embolden, hearten, inspirit, nerve, steel, advocate, countenance, favor, approve, back, endorse
Related Idioms: take the heart out of, lay a wet blanket on, throw cold water on
Related Words: depress,
weigh,
afflict,
try,
damp,
dampen,
droop,
distress,
trouble,
bother,
irk,
vex,
check,
inhibit,
restrain,
prevent,
frighten,
scare [TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲
dis‧cour‧age /dɪsˈkʌrɪdʒ $ -ˈkɜːr-/
verb [transitive] [
Word Family: adjective:
encouraged ≠
discouraged,
encouraging ≠
discouraging;
verb:
encourage ≠
discourage;
noun:
encouragement ≠
discouragement;
adverb:
encouragingly ≠
discouragingly]
1. to persuade someone not to do something, especially by making it seem difficult or bad
Antonym : encourage:
attempts to discourage illegal immigrationdiscourage somebody from doing something My father is a lawyer, and he discouraged me from entering the field.► Do not say ‘discourage someone to do something’. Say
discourage someone from doing something.
2. to make someone less confident or less willing to do something
Synonym : demoralize Antonym : encourage:
You should not let one failure discourage you.3. to make something less likely to happen
Antonym : encourage:
Aspirin may discourage tumour growth in some types of cancer. [TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲
discourageverb
BAD: Somehow we have to discourage people to commit crimes.
GOOD: Somehow we have to discourage people from committing crimes.
Usage Note:discourage sb from doing sth : 'We always leave the lights on at night to discourage people from breaking in.'
Compare: 'You should try and encourage her to take more exercise.'
[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲