1
as in to paralyze
to deprive of courage or confidence
the mere sight of the forbidding cliffs demoralized the climbers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to discourage
to lessen the courage or confidence of
we refused to be demoralized by our humiliating defeat and vowed to come roaring back the following week
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to humiliate
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
felt society as a whole has been demoralized by the widespread availability of pornography
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of demoralize
Today everyday Texans are feeling stressed about the economy, demoralized by an administration that is trampling on our constitution, and fearful that our government is broken beyond repair.
—
Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
The board has come under fire from the Oakland Police Officers Association and pro-police activists who assert that the commission has hampered officers’ ability to fight crime and demoralized the department resulting in understaffing.
—Richard Halstead, Mercury News, 9 May 2026
After the Knicks had already demoralized the Sixers three times too many, there was still time on the clock for one more haymaker, one more seismic punch to put Philadelphia, already on the ropes far sooner than its fan base had anticipated, out for good.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 5 May 2026
The apparent goal is to discredit accusers in public — then circulate the smears to their social circles — as well as demoralize adversaries amid legal disputes, forcing quiet settlements on preferred terms.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for demoralize
Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
The board has come under fire from the Oakland Police Officers Association and pro-police activists who assert that the commission has hampered officers’ ability to fight crime and demoralized the department resulting in understaffing.
—Richard Halstead, Mercury News, 9 May 2026
After the Knicks had already demoralized the Sixers three times too many, there was still time on the clock for one more haymaker, one more seismic punch to put Philadelphia, already on the ropes far sooner than its fan base had anticipated, out for good.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 5 May 2026
The apparent goal is to discredit accusers in public — then circulate the smears to their social circles — as well as demoralize adversaries amid legal disputes, forcing quiet settlements on preferred terms.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for demoralize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demoralize
Verb
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The boy was unconscious for several minutes and temporarily paralyzed, according to the lawsuit.—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 May 2026
-
Judge Salvador Vasquez sentenced Pouncey, 37, of Gary, to 176 years Friday for killing Klorya and her husband Kyle Matthews in April 2024, and paralyzing a third man, Malieke Thomas, 55, who later died.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
Verb
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At first it was allowed, then discouraged, then more firmly refused.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
1 June 2026
-
Its journal was essentially an academic publication, and images were discouraged.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Linda Hyde, a Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards member since 2014, boarded her Southwest flight on May 21 at Miami International Airport humiliated and angry.—
Ella Moore
Updated May 29,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2026
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Strength is not the capacity to humiliate someone with less power.—
Marc Brackett,
Hartford Courant,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Russia has used escalation rhetoric to intimidate Washington and Europe into self-deterrence since the war began.—
David A. Deptula,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
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If anyone attempts to intimidate, disrupt, harass, or threaten the marchers or their supporters Sunday — they will be arrested, and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.—
Elliot Cosgrove,
New York Daily News,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Part of what fascinates and frustrates as regards Ginsberg is that for all of those thick anthologies, propriety forces me to concede that many of the poems simply aren’t that good.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
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Some voters frustrated by gubernatorial race Tuesday was shaping up to be a busy day at the polls inside the brown brick Coloma Community Center.—
Camryn Dadey,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Damaged pans may be harder to use safely and may continue degrading with heat, cleaning and metal utensils.—
Ryan Brennan
June 2,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
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Years of degrading the Star Wars legacy with terrible, unwatchable streaming series and the disappointing end of the previous trilogy have taken their toll.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
Verb
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But the future Hall of Famer is coming off ACL surgery, might lack mobility, and has a receiving corps that frightens nobody.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
15 May 2026
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This war has been a disaster for them, frightening away foreign investors, tourists and talent and burdening them with a future of huge new defense bills to deter Iran after the United States is gone.—
Thomas L. Friedman,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
Verb
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The Reserve Bank of Australia will likely focus on the strength of private demand before factoring in the conflict, alongside inflation risks stemming from weak productivity and rising unit labor costs, according to Stenner, who expects household consumption to weaken in the second quarter.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
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Critics counter that scarcity alone does not guarantee value if investor demand weakens.—
Sharon Wu,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demoralize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demoralize. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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