as in despair
the state of being discouraged
I tried desperately to avoid discouragement after failing the bar exam twice
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Recent Examples of discouragement
SpongeBob doesn’t stay stuck in discouragement or disappointment for long, but rather looks for something positive to focus on.
—
Liz Regalia, Parents, 31 Jan. 2026
Stand strong in your plans and strategies for 2026 even if February and early March bring some discouragement.
—Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 17 Jan. 2026
But to unmask the killer in a mansion filled with ticking clocks and suspects, amateur detective Eileen must first get round discouragement from Lady Caterham, played by Helena Bonham Carter, and Sherlock star Martin Freeman as superintendent Battle.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 6 Jan. 2026
Keep your cool, adjust expectations, and don’t let discouragement bring you down during this early period of the year.
—Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for discouragement
Liz Regalia, Parents, 31 Jan. 2026
Stand strong in your plans and strategies for 2026 even if February and early March bring some discouragement.
—Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 17 Jan. 2026
But to unmask the killer in a mansion filled with ticking clocks and suspects, amateur detective Eileen must first get round discouragement from Lady Caterham, played by Helena Bonham Carter, and Sherlock star Martin Freeman as superintendent Battle.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 6 Jan. 2026
Keep your cool, adjust expectations, and don’t let discouragement bring you down during this early period of the year.
—Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for discouragement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discouragement
Noun
-
For Gordon Sheach, founder of Scotland fans’ website The Tartan Scarf, his first memory of football set the precedent for two decades of despair and disillusionment.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
-
The pulse of Royals fans is despair as the season has gone off the rails.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
The move ended a mutual defense treaty between Washington and Taipei, much to the dismay at the time of the US Congress, which quickly passed the Taiwan Relations Act to assert its role in relations across the Taiwan Strait.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
29 May 2026
-
Goldschmidt, lashing through the unhittable delivery, just stood in dismay.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Discouragement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discouragement. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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