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
Relevance
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
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Recent Examples of discourage
Unnecessary travel is discouraged as road conditions worsen.
—
Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
In addition, some experts argue the laws could even discourage kids from reporting actual violent threats for fear of retribution.
—Angele Latham, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
All of this, on top of the everyday stressors that are par for the course with business ownership, can be discouraging.
—Jess Turner, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
While global finance institutions and investors have long been interested in diversifying to China, Beijing’s strict controls on capital outflows and relatively opaque system have discouraged large-scale buying of mainland China assets.
—Lee Ying Shan,evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for discourage
Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
In addition, some experts argue the laws could even discourage kids from reporting actual violent threats for fear of retribution.
—Angele Latham, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
All of this, on top of the everyday stressors that are par for the course with business ownership, can be discouraging.
—Jess Turner, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
While global finance institutions and investors have long been interested in diversifying to China, Beijing’s strict controls on capital outflows and relatively opaque system have discouraged large-scale buying of mainland China assets.
—Lee Ying Shan,evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for discourage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discourage
Verb
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Huda then confided in Amaya, claiming the chain of events the night before went a bit differently than was shown, but she, too, was frustrated.—
Breanne L. Heldman,
People.com,
14 July 2025
-
Herman was particularly frustrated with Comcast upload speeds, which are much slower than the cable service's download speeds.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
The presence of heavily armed Iranian proxies did not dissuade Israel from striking: Lebanese Hezbollah stayed on the sidelines when Israel launched its attack on Iran.—
Gershom Gorenberg,
The Atlantic,
11 July 2025
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White House officials say there isn’t an active effort underway to try and remove Powell, a longstanding Trump fixation that advisers have dissuaded him from pursuing due to significant concerns over legal constraints and market reaction.—
Phil Mattingly,
CNN Money,
11 July 2025
Verb
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But moving from being a casual fan into understanding the intricacies of tennis can be intimidating.—
Caoimhe O'Neill,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
-
Although new gardeners often find coming up with a design intimidating, there are existing templates to work from.—
Special to The Denver Post,
Denver Post,
8 July 2025
Verb
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The incident does not appear to have deterred Richard from doing more experiments.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
15 July 2025
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Located in an idle airstrip near the Big Cypress National Preserve that the DeSantis administration seized from Miami-Dade County using emergency powers, the detention facility is surrounded by wild life and wild lands, which officials have joked could deter undocumented immigrants from escaping.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
11 July 2025
Verb
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But the law is not only harmful in its use: The mere threat of a CEQA lawsuit is enough to stifle new housing developments since such suits can add substantial time, cost and risk for builders who already face daunting construction costs.—
Daniel Yost,
Mercury News,
16 June 2025
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Understanding that misplacing items is a challenge daunting everyone – from reckless youth to sleepless parents, busy young adults, and the elderly – FindR stickers come in a kaleidoscope of sizes, colors, and finishes.—
Ethan Stone,
USA TODAY,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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But their return has also angered and frightened livestock farmers and others in rural communities who are having to learn to live alongside these once nearly-extinct creatures.—
Ruth Sherlock,
NPR,
9 July 2025
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But on Friday night, the booms and blasts of celebratory fireworks appear to have frightened them away.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Discourage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discourage. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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