1
as in to paralyze
to deprive of courage or confidence
the mere sight of the forbidding cliffs demoralized the climbers
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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
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of demoralize
Watching what’s unfolding around us can be demoralizing.
—
Stacey Abrams, Time, 28 Aug. 2025
Stringent management of the PLA and the relentlessness of Xi’s anticorruption campaign is probably both humiliating and demoralizing for senior officers.
—Jonathan A. Czin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2025
According to a friend who works at Social Security, top leaders have quit, staff is demoralized and many are concerned about DOGE personnel accessing our personal data, violating security protocols and pushing a complete and rapid overhaul of the entire computer systems.
—Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025
If team owners could influence scorekeeping, fans would lose interest, players would be demoralized and sponsors would back away as public trust collapses.
—Brent Dykes, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demoralize
Stacey Abrams, Time, 28 Aug. 2025
Stringent management of the PLA and the relentlessness of Xi’s anticorruption campaign is probably both humiliating and demoralizing for senior officers.
—Jonathan A. Czin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2025
According to a friend who works at Social Security, top leaders have quit, staff is demoralized and many are concerned about DOGE personnel accessing our personal data, violating security protocols and pushing a complete and rapid overhaul of the entire computer systems.
—Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025
If team owners could influence scorekeeping, fans would lose interest, players would be demoralized and sponsors would back away as public trust collapses.
—Brent Dykes, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demoralize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demoralize
Verb
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Because her brother is paralyzed after an attack on a Charlotte Area Transit System bus in March.—
Andrew Dys,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Congress does not fail to act on guns because it is paralyzed.—
John J. Donohue,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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At first, the results were discouraging.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Sep. 2025
-
If the task is itself a learning activity that develops skills or forces cognitive engagement, discourage AI use.—
Dave Tucker,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Continually moving the goalposts or using testing to humiliate or control can cause relational harm.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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And Sacks, a PayPal Mafia member and veteran Silicon Valley investor, is just the sort of titan of industry this town routinely devours and humiliates — from Rex Tillerson to, well, Elon Musk.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Trump administration members are going in a different direction, pressing for investigations of left-leaning groups that appear designed to intimidate, if not prosecute.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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Dealing with debt collectors is a high-stress and intimidating experience.—
True Tamplin,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Ciccone was frustrated to find research was largely focused on boys.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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It’s left supporters on Capitol Hill delighted, frustrated, or wondering what’s next.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In some cases, performance degraded despite having access to better tools.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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However, as seals in the engines, designed to stop leaks, wear and degrade, oil seeps in and vaporizes in the heat, releasing toxic compounds onboard.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Judy Hernandez’ husband Raul, a co-founder of the community group the Resurrection Project, dismissed those plans as a political stunt geared to create fear and frighten Spanish-speaking people.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
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Many of us are conditioned to think that our ultimate goal in life is to be with someone, so much so, that the mere thought of being alone frightens us.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Foreign powers such as Russia and China, which challenge America and its allies from Europe to the Middle East to Taiwan and the South China Sea, have long been accused of exploiting such divisions through disinformation campaigns that inflame tensions and weaken confidence in American governance.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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But around the equinoxes, the natural buffer weakens.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Demoralize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demoralize. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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