Synonyms for discourage
Synonyms by meaning
Verb
2. Deter
deter, demoralize UK US, demoralise UK, dampen, depress, dismay, unnerve, chill, damp, dishearten, dash, cow, daunt, dispirit, unman, deject, intimidate, sadden
Other
oppose, disrecommend, discommend dated
Definitions
- v. 1
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.
- v. 2
To persuade somebody not to do (something).
Related words
- Word family
- discouragement discourager
Forms
- Past participle
- discouraged
e.g. discouraged → dissuaded, warned, admonished, monished…
Example sentences
- warn I think Tom was trying to warn us about something.
- dissuade Bees have bright colors to dissuade their enemies.
- admonish No words were able to admonish him.
- deter Ukraine's drones failed to deter Russia's assault.
- dampen Benedito used water to dampen the cloth for cleaning.
- oppose Were I in your position, I would oppose that plan.
By length
- 3 letters
- cow1
- 4 letters
- warn1, dash1, damp1
- 5 letters
- chill1, deter2, daunt1, unman
- 6 letters
- oppose2, dismay2, dampen2, sadden2, deject2, monish
- 7 letters
- depress2, unnerve2
- 8 letters
- dissuade2, admonish3, dispirit
- 10 letters
- intimidate4, demoralize4, demoralise, dishearten, discommend
- 12 letters
- disrecommend
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (deter2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- décourager
- Español
- desanimar
- Deutsch
- entmutigen
- Català
- desanimar