discourage

verb

di-ˈskər-ij How to pronounce discourage (audio)
Definition of discouragenext
1
as in to frustrate
to lessen the courage or confidence of I didn't let losing discourage me from trying again

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to dissuade
to steer (a person) from an activity or course of action the higher fines may help discourage drivers from speeding on the highway

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of discourage And the ones that remain are increasingly either too expensive for the average American or are designed to discourage lingering to create more turnover and, thus, profits. — Mary Carreon, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026 Higher mortgage rates aggravate the problem by discouraging many existing homeowners from selling. — Sheldon H. Jacobson, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026 Depriving the plant of light discourages the development of chlorophyll—the green plant pigment responsible for color—and rids the chicory of an unpleasant flavor. — Tamar Adler, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2026 Eastman argues that campaigns against Trump attorneys are intended to discourage other lawyers from taking similar cases. — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for discourage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discourage
  1. frustrate
  2. dissuade
  3. intimidate
  4. deter
  5. daunt
  6. frighten
Verb
  • To make matters worse, companies like Target—frustrated by an underdeveloped Southeast Asian factory ecosystem—are moving supply chains back to China.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
  • When a batter gets thrown out at second base for trying to turn a single into a double, fans get frustrated.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of frustrate
Verb
  • In May, Cloobeck was arrested and charged with three counts of attempting to dissuade a witness from testifying and one count of harassment for making annoying phone calls, according to a criminal complaint.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The ease with which Murray operated on the field, even amid all of the developing noise, didn’t dissuade anyone from those initial impressions.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of dissuade
Verb
  • The young actor can pull off the swagger and charisma required of a teenage Haymitch, but he was intimidated by the idea of taking on the character’s accent.
    — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Those who use technology to harass, intimidate or torment others should understand that attempts to anonymize their criminal conduct will not shield them from prosecution.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of intimidate
Verb
  • Jenkins also believes high-tech surveillance helps deter crime, although that's harder to prove.
    — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026
  • During dry periods, soil-dwelling bacteria produce a compound called geosmin that deters insects such as fruit flies.
    — Gregory Wakeman, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of deter
Verb
  • How To Begin Professionalizing Your Business Thinking about professionalizing your business is daunting, but the consequences of not doing so are worse.
    — Nellie Akalp, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The father-son tale at the center was what drove Garelick to take on such a daunting project.
    — Miki Hellerbach, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of daunt
Verb
  • Families confronting a devastating diagnosis may already be frightened, grieving and overwhelmed.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • But Cardinale acknowledged layoffs would be part of the cost-cuts, a prospect that frightened many in Hollywood after endless waves of job cuts at the two companies.
    — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of frighten

Browse Nearby Words

discounts
discourage
discouraged
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Discourage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discourage. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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