discouragement

noun

dis·​cour·​age·​ment di-ˈskər-ij-mənt 

-ˈkə-rij-

1

: the act of discouraging : the state of being discouraged

2

: something that discourages

Synonyms

• demoralization
• despair
• despondency
• disheartenment
• dismay
• dispiritedness

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

Despite the humorous discouragement from her friends and family, Hurosky remains committed to her goal with a slight modification. —Ashley Vega, People.com, 10 Jan. 2025

This creates a cycle of guilt and discouragement that can quickly lead to burnout or abandoning the goal altogether. —Mark Travers, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025

Still, their constant discouragement is starting to wear on me. —Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 23 Nov. 2024

This leads to feelings of disengagement, discouragement and exhaustion. —Jack Kelly, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1561, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

discouragement

noun

dis·​cour·​age·​ment dis-ˈkər-ij-mənt 

-ˈkə-rij-

1

: an act of discouraging : the state of being discouraged

2

: something that discourages