Discourage

Definition: Discourage

Discourage

Verb

1. Try to prevent; show opposition to: "We should discourage this practice among our youth".

2. Deprive of courage or hope; take away hope from; cause to feel discouraged.

3. Admonish or counsel in terms of someone's behavior; "I warned him not to go too far";"I warn you against false assumptions"; "She warned him to be quiet".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "discourage" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1509. (references)

Synonyms: Discourage

Dejection

Depress; discourage, dishearten; dispirit; damp, dull, deject, lower, sink, dash, knock down, unman, prostrate, break one's heart; frown upon; cast a gloom, cast a shade on; sadden; damp one's hopes, dash one's hopes, wither one's hopes; weigh on the mind, lie heavy on the mind, prey on the mind, weigh on the spirits, lie heavy on the spirits, prey on the spirits; damp the spirits, depress the spirits.

Disappointment

Disappoint; frustrate, discomfit, crush, defeat (failure); crush one's hope, dash one's hope, balk one's hope, disappoint one's hope, blight one's hope, falsify one's hope, defeat one's hope, discourage; balk, jilt, bilk; play one false, play a trick; dash the cup from the lips, tantalize; dumfound, dumbfound, dumbfounder, dumfounder (astonish).

Dissuasion

Disincline, indispose, shake, stagger; dispirit; discourage, dishearten; deter; repress, hold back, keep back; (restrain); render averse; repel; turn aside; (deviation); wean from; act as a drag; (hinder); throw cold water on, damp, cool, chill, blunt, calm, quiet, quench; deprecate.

Fear

Put in fear, put in bodily fear; terrorize, intimidate, cow, daunt, overawe, abash, deter, discourage; browbeat, bully; threaten.

Crosswords: Discourage

Surely Rome understands that public executions discourage sin (The Pit and the Pendulum; writing credit: Dennis Paoli; Edgar Allan Poe)

Didn't that discourage you about drinking (Paint Your Wagon; writing credit: Paddy Chayefsky; Alan Jay Lerner)

Nothin will discourage me (Ready Or Not; performing artist: After 7)

You can tell how big a person is by what it takes to discourage him. (references; author: unknown)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Books

• Does Need-Based Student Aid Discourage Saving for College? (reference)

• Encouraging the Discourage Child: Boostiong Your Child's Self-Confidence (reference)

• How Government Policies Discourage Savings [DOWNLOAD: PDF] (reference)

• Save American Jobs Act : hearing before the Subcommittee on Labor of the Committee on Labor and Human Resources, United States Senate, One Hundred Second Congress, first session, on S. 2311, to discourage American employers from eliminating American jobs (reference)

• The Pan-American Dream: Do Latin America's Cultural Values Discourage True Partnership With the United States and Canada (reference)

  (more book examples)

Music

• Red Badge of Discourage (reference)

  (more classical music examples; more popular music examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

A hazard of a diving marine biologist. Hammers on the head tend to discourage attack. Carcharinis Limbatus - grey shark on a murky day at the reef. Credit: The Coral Kingdom.

Plastic bags are meant to discourage boobies from landing on the masthead. Apparently they don't work. On the NOAA Ship McARTHUR during STAR 2000 operations in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean. Credit: Sailing for Science - the NOAA Fleet Then and Now.

More and more citizens are voluntarily labeling storm sewers to discourage people from dumping any pollutants into them that would eventually reach water supplies. Credit: Amy Smith.

The positive approach to discourage young people from smoking. / WHO/American Cancer Socitey photo. Credit: National Library of Medicine.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

They discourage existence

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Health

Apply repellants to discourage tick attachment. (references)

Discourage nail-biting and scratching bare anal areas. (references)

Nor does such instruction discourage young people from taking steroids in the future. (references)

Business

Although many webshops are struggling with small sales, it does not seem to discourage new entrants. (references)

Some claim that the regulations discourage investors and also cause problems when hiring foreign staff. (references)

They are directed at all such efforts and not used or designed specifically to discourage foreign investment. (references)

Children

Kyrgyz Republic

Cultural traditions and social structures discourage victims from going to the authorities. (references)

Bosnia and Herzegovina

In a small number of cases, local communities attempted to discourage Romani children from attending their schools. (references)

Cape Verde

The decision, which was intended to protect mother and child and to discourage early pregnancy, was very controversial. (references)

Civil Liberties

Vietnam

Friends have been allowed to visit him, but say authorities discourage visits. (references)

Cyprus

Republic of Cyprus authorities discourage travel to the northern part of the island. (references)

Burma

In at least one instance in the past, clergy were beaten to discourage proselytizing. (references)

Economic History

Kenya

High U.S. prices also discourage would-be importers. (references)

Guyana

This uncertainty continues to discourage investment. (references)

Jordan

Jordan has an adequate legal framework to discourage corruption. (references)

Human Rights

Burma

Army troops reportedly burned villages and laid landmines to discourage villagers from returning. (references)

United Kingdom

Sinn Fein has refused to participate and stated that it will discourage Catholics from joining the police. (references)

Tunisia

They also claim that erratic court schedules and procedures are designed to deter and discourage observers of political trials. (references)

Minorities

Greece

Members of the minority asserted that the Government pursues a policy designed to discourage use of their dialect. (references)

Russia

Police also contacted representatives of ethnically-based associations in Moscow to discourage them from reprisals. (references)

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Hard-line Bosnian Croats continued to discourage some Croat returns to central Bosnia and actively have recruited displaced Croats to resettle in Herzegovina; however this intimidation has decreased. (references)

Political Economy

BOLIVIA

Weak enforcement of existing laws has done little to discourage piracy in Bolivia. (references)

HONDURAS

Such cases, however, serve to discourage workers elsewhere from attempting to organize. (references)

Burma

The U.S. Government has an official policy to neither encourage nor discourage trade with Burma. (references)

Trade

Pakistan

High interest rates combine with high start-up costs to discourage initiatives in the consumer sector. (references)

Chile

In particular, the application of certain requirements for poultry is a non-tariff barrier seemingly meant to discourage imports. (references)

Travel

Ukraine

It is illegal to exchange money outside of exchange points, and we strongly discourage doing so. (references)

Women

Jordan

Social pressures discourage many women from pursuing professional careers. (references)

Latvia

Cultural factors tend to discourage women from coming forth publicly with complaints of abuse. (references)

Ethiopia

The Government also is working to discourage the practice of FGM through education in public schools. (references)

Worker Rights

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Witnesses often are threatened by traffickers to discourage them from testifying. (references)

Honduras

Cases of firings and harassment serve to discourage workers elsewhere from attempting to organize. (references)

Russia

Management and FNPR local unions often worked together to discourage the establishment of new unions. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Afrikaans

afskrik (abhorrence, abomination, deter, horror, scare). (various references)

Albanian

dekurajoj, dëshpëroj (cast down, despair, dishearten, dispirit, embitter, get down, sadden), shkurajoj (dishearten, dispirit, unnerve), prapësoj (move back, repel, turn), kundërshtoj (censure, challenge, combat, condemn, contest, contradict, controvert, counter, cross, demur, deprecate, discountenance, dispute, flout, fly in the face of, gainsay, impugn, kick, mind, object, oppose, oppugn, protest, react, rebel, rebuke, rebut, recalcitrate, refuse, resist, retort, set one's face against, stick to, stickle, Stonewall, take exception to), i kundërvihem (antagonize, buck, censure, confront, stand up to), i heq besimin, e bëj të heqë dorë, bëj i pavlerë, bëj i pakëndshëm. (various references)

Arabic 

‏حاول أن يثنيه عن, ‏عاق (baffle, balk, block, cramp, delay, derange, detain, deter, dirty, disloyal, disturb, embarrass, encumber, estop, handicap, hinder, hobble, hurt, impede, impious, interrupt, penalize, preclude, prevent, retard, set back, shackle, stifle, thankless, thwart, tie up, trammel, trap, undutiful, ungrateful, unthankful), ‏ثبط العزيمة (dishearten). (various references)

Bulgarian 

разубеждавам (deter, dissuade, indispose, put off, reason out of), отчайвам (disharden, dispirit, prostrate), обезсърчавам (damp, dampen, daunt, discountenance, dishearten, dispirit, pour cold water on), попречвам на (baffle, head off, short circuit, snag, weigh against, withhold). (various references)

Chinese 

劝阻 (Discouraged, Discouraging). (various references)

Czech

zrazovat (advise, dissuade), zastrašit (browbeat, cow, daunt, intimidate, overawe), vzít komu odvahu, srážet (condense), odrazovat (dishearten, dissuade, expostulate), odradit (dissuade, draw back, pour cold water on, scare off). (various references)

Danish

får en trejdepart til at afholde sig fra at eksportere (to discourage a third party from exporting). (various references)

Dutch

verjagen (chase away, deter, drive away, expel, scare), afschrikken (deter, scare). (various references)

Esperanto

fortimigi (deter, scare). (various references)

Farsi 

سست کردن (Enervate, Inactivate, Loosen, Slacken, Weaken), دلسردکردن (Dishearten, Disspirit, Dissuade, Estrange, Unnerve), بی جرات ساختن . (various references)

Finnish

tehdä alakuloiseksi (depress), masentaa (dishearten), lannistaa (crush a person's spirit, dishearten, overcome, subdue), lamauttaa (depress, dishearten, paralyze, stun). (various references)

French

décourager (dishearten, dispirit, dissatisfy), décourageons, découragent, repousser (disapprove, disapprove of), rebuter (dishearten, dispirit), essayer de dissuader, abattre (dig up, dispatch, dispirit). (various references)

Frisian

ôfskrikke (deter, scare). (various references)

German

entmutigen (chill, dampen, daunt, deject, demoralize, depress, dishearten, dispirit, frustrate, pull down, to daunt, to deject, to discourage, to dishearten, to dispirit, unman, unnerve). (various references)

Greek 

αποθαρρύνω (bar, daunt, demoralize, discountenance, dishearten, dispirit, put off). (various references)

Hebrew 

ל�"רתיע (deter, startle), ל�"רפות י�"י (dispirit), לרפות י�"ים (dishearten, dismay). (various references)

Hungarian

elriaszt (deter, to affray, to deter, to frighten away, to frighten off, to scare off, to warn off, warn off), elbátortalanít (pour cold water on, to discourage, to unman, to unnerve, to unstring, unnerve, unstrung). (various references)

Indonesian

mengecilkan hati (dishearten), mematahkan (discouraging). (various references)

Italian

spaventare (alarm, be frightened, deter, frighten, get scared, scare, startle), scoraggiare (be discouraged, daunt, deject, demoralize, deter, dishearten, dispirit), impaurire (be scared, deter, frighten, get frightened, scare). (various references)

Korean 

낙담하십시�". (various references)

Manx

lhiettal (clog, counteract, hinder, impede, inhibit, intercept, obstruct, prevent, prevention, restrain, restrict, stop down, veto), cur ass cree (demoralization, demoralize, depress, dishearten). (various references)

Norwegian

ta motet ifra. (various references)

Pig Latin

iscourageday.(various references)

Portuguese

dissuadir (deter, deterge, dissuade, put off), desencorajar (daunt, depress, deter, dishearten, dispirit, unman, unnerve), desanime, desanimar (chill, collapse, damp, deject, depress, despair, despond, discount, dishearten, dismay, dispirit, drench, flatten, quail, throw cold water on, unman, unnerve), arrefecer (cool, douse, freshen, quench, rub up). (various references)

Romanian

descuraja (beat down, bring low, cast down, chill, damp, dash, daunt, deject, depress, deter, dishearten, dismay, dispirit, face down, flatten, mope, scare, unnerve). (various references)

Russian 

обескураживать (damp, daunt, dishearten, wet blanket, wet-blanket). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

odvratiti (answer back, avert, dissuade, distract, divert, head off, turn away), odgovoriti (answer, dissuade, re-join, replicate, reply), obeshrabriti (daunt, deject, depress, dishearten, pour cold water on, wet blanket). (various references)

Spanish

espantar (appal, appall, deter, dismay, frighten, frighten off, horrify, scare, scare away, scare off, shoo, terrify), desanimar (damp, dampen, demoralize, despond, dishearten, dispirit, get down, put off). (various references)

Swedish

avskräcka (choke off, deter, discountenance, frighten, intimidate). (various references)

Turkish

yıldırmak (appall, be a disincentive to, browbeat, cow, daunt, deter, frustrate, mau-mau), vazgeçirmek (argue smb. out of smth., choke back, choke off, dissuade, talk smb. out of smth., wean, wean away from), hevesini kırmak (damp smb.'s ardour, devitalize, dishearten, indispose), hayal kırıklığına uğratmak (chagrin, disappoint, frustrate, let down), cesaretini kırmak (be a disincentive to, dash, daunt, demoralize, dishearten, dispirit, enervate, screw up one's courage, tame, unman, unnerve). (various references)

Ukrainian

відмовляти (debar, deny, disallow, malfunction, notice, persuade, refuse, say no, withhold), знеохочувати, бентежити (abash, affront, bewilder, confound, confuse, damp, dank, daunt, disarray, discomfit, disconcert, dismay, disorder, embarrass, embrangle, flummox, muddle, overset, perplex, perturb, puddle, puzzle, upturn), перешкоджати (baffle, balk, bar, barrier in, baulk, block, check, clog, counteract, cumber, debar, forbid, handicap, impede, inhibit, militate, prevent, set back, tie up, trammel). (various references)

Welsh

digalonni (appall, dishearten), anghefnogi. (various references)

adflicto affligo, deterreat, deterrebit, deterrere, fractae, fracti, fractione, fractionis, fractis, fracto, fractum, fractura, fracturam, fractus, frange, frangebat, frangendum, frangensque, frangent, frangentes, frangerentur, frangeret, franges, frangetur, frangimus, frangit, fregerunt, fregi, fregisset, fregit, infregi, infringo, infringo infregi infractum, infringo, infregi, infractum. (various references)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Derivations

Words beginning with "discourage": discourageable, discouraged, discouragement, discouragements, discourager, discouragers, discourages. (additional references)

Words containing "discourage": undiscouraged. (additional references)

Misspellings

"Discourage" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: dicurane, Dioscorea, discourge, Tiecoura. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

-2 letters: caroused, cordages, courages, disgrace, edacious, gracious, idocrase, scourged, scrouged.

-3 letters: acerous, aerugos, aroused, cadgers, cargoes, carious, carouse, codeias, codgers, cordage, corsage, cougars, courage, coursed, cruised, crusade, crusado, curiosa, desugar, dogears, drogues, ergodic, gaudier, gaudies, giaours, gourdes, groused, guiders, guisard, radices, residua, roadies, sarcoid, saucier, scoriae, scoured, scourge, scrouge, sidecar, socager, sourced, sugared.

+1 letter: discouraged, discourager, discourages.

+2 letters: discouragers.

+3 letters: glucuronidase, undercoatings, undiscouraged.

+4 letters: countershading, discourageable, discouragement, glucuronidases, subcategorized.

+5 letters: countershadings, discouragements, grandiloquences.