discouragement

noun

dis·​cour·​age·​ment di-ˈskər-ij-mənt How to pronounce discouragement (audio)
-ˈkə-rij-
1
: the act of discouraging : the state of being discouraged
2
: something that discourages

Examples of discouragement in a Sentence

the discouragement of drug use among teenagers She expressed discouragement over the difficulty of finding a good job. The team's losses have left fans with a feeling of discouragement. He says that the tax is a discouragement to doing business in this state. Despite the discouragements of the past week, we need to continue moving forward.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
So feelings of self-doubt, frustration, and discouragement start to kick in. Sho Dewan, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025 Hours later, coach Ben Johnson remained aggravated, still sorting through how to deal with his discouragement over a frustrating first quarter. Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025 To state what is likely obvious to many Ars readers, this process does not involve any internal experience or emotion, so Gemini is not actually experiencing feelings of defeat or discouragement. Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 8 Aug. 2025 First, discouragement is not a good quality to base an investment decision on. Jim Cramer, CNBC, 27 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for discouragement

Word History

First Known Use

1561, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of discouragement was in 1561

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Discouragement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discouragement. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

discouragement

noun
dis·​cour·​age·​ment dis-ˈkər-ij-mənt How to pronounce discouragement (audio)
-ˈkə-rij-
1
: an act of discouraging : the state of being discouraged
2
: something that discourages

More from Merriam-Webster on discouragement

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!