discourage
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English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Middle French descourager (modern French décourager), from Old French descouragier, from des- and corage. By surface analysis, dis- + courage.
Pronunciation[edit]
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /dɪsˈkʌɹɪd͡ʒ/
- (General American) IPA(key): /dɪsˈkɝɪd͡ʒ/
Audio (US) (file) - Hyphenation: dis‧cour‧age
Verb[edit]
discourage (third-person singular simple present discourages, present participle discouraging, simple past and past participle discouraged)
- (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.
- (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[edit]
Antonyms[edit]
Translations[edit]
to dishearten
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to persuade somebody not to do something
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Noun[edit]
discourage (uncountable)
- (rare) Lack of courage
Synonyms[edit]
- (lack of courage): cowardliness
Further reading[edit]
- “discourage”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
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