1
as in to frustrate
to lessen the courage or confidence of
I didn't let losing discourage me from trying again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to dissuade
to steer (a person) from an activity or course of action
the higher fines may help discourage drivers from speeding on the highway
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of discourage
This is discouraging some LNG demand and upping that of coal.
—
Gaurav Sharma,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Pests stay where food and shelter are easy to find, so reducing both discourages them.
—
Abby Monteil,
The Spruce,
19 June 2026
The plan also includes 114 parking spaces, which Calvo said is double the code requirement of 57, in order to discourage on-street parking among future residents.
—
Marie Wilson,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
This improves air circulation around the rhizomes and discourages future rot.
—
Sj McShane,
Martha Stewart,
18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for discourage
Gaurav Sharma,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Pests stay where food and shelter are easy to find, so reducing both discourages them.
—
Abby Monteil,
The Spruce,
19 June 2026
The plan also includes 114 parking spaces, which Calvo said is double the code requirement of 57, in order to discourage on-street parking among future residents.
—
Marie Wilson,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
This improves air circulation around the rhizomes and discourages future rot.
—
Sj McShane,
Martha Stewart,
18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for discourage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discourage
Verb
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Trump’s rogue moves have frustrated Thune’s party regularly over the past two months.
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David Rubenstein, the son of a Baltimore postal worker, was frustrated in a Washington law firm when he was both inspired by a wildly successful leveraged buyout and unnerved by a book that claimed the odds of successfully starting a company plummets after 37.
Verb
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Leaders using this phrase create an unsafe psychological environment, dissuading any dissent or improvement curiosity.
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Nothing in your life has dissuaded you from these early surmises.
Verb
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The parking at Krog Street Market can be intimidating, but there’s no need to try to navigate the valet or the small lot in the front of the market.
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The Oura Ring 4 has dropped to $399, cutting a cool $100 off the intimidating $499 list price.
Verb
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Officials say the data collected helps solve and deter crime by, for example, allowing law enforcement to track a criminal’s movements.
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But the need for NIL dollars and emergence of the transfer portal haven’t deterred a man who has made a career of fixing college hoops programs.
Verb
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Willy’s, the only LGBTQ+ bar in Wynwood, achieved a daunting feat in South Florida.
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Trying to piece this information together was daunting and complicated.
Verb
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At the time of writing, as the Marine Traffic map shows, tanker traffic is barely moving through the Strait, and many ships, unable to obtain insurance or with their owners frightened at the level of risk involved, are refusing to advance.
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But because the president has frightened Congress, Congress doesn’t raise its voice when the president puts his Albert Speer–like building project, or intends to, on Congress’s land.
Cite this Entry
“Discourage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discourage. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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