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
Feelings of isolation, frustration, discouragement, anxiety, burnout, and anger are all common manifestations of diabetes distress, Diana Licalzi, RD, a certified diabetes educator and the cofounder of Reversing T2D, tells SELF.
—
Beth Krietsch, SELF, 11 Nov. 2025
Labor market discouragement can come from weakness in the overall job market, shifts in industrial composition, or barriers or constraints that affect specific workers.
—Kathryn Anne Edwards, Twin Cities, 27 Oct. 2025
Probably, despite Todd’s discouragement.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025
The gradual combination of these skills helps students avoid most crashes in the long term, leading to less discouragement and frustration.
—Maria Williams, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discouragement
Beth Krietsch, SELF, 11 Nov. 2025
Labor market discouragement can come from weakness in the overall job market, shifts in industrial composition, or barriers or constraints that affect specific workers.
—Kathryn Anne Edwards, Twin Cities, 27 Oct. 2025
Probably, despite Todd’s discouragement.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025
The gradual combination of these skills helps students avoid most crashes in the long term, leading to less discouragement and frustration.
—Maria Williams, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discouragement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discouragement
Noun
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Frederick battled intermittent despair and sought solace in Swedenborgianism and other, stranger beliefs.—
Kathryn Schulz,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
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That’s not always possible, but don’t despair.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The two become inseparable, to the dismay of Cathy’s paid companion Nelly (Vi Nguyen), and only become closer after Heathcliff takes a beating on Cathy’s behalf from her alcoholic father (Martin Clunes) for missing his birthday celebration.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
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Social media users expressed their dismay at the site crash and how quickly the kits sold out.—
Katey Psencik,
Austin American Statesman,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Discouragement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discouragement. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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