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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of discourage
In other words, effective marketing can mean discouraging the wrong customers rather than convincing everyone to buy.
—
Jaclyn L. Tanenbaum, Fortune, 6 Jan. 2026
The California Department of Transportation discourages memorials along highways.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 6 Jan. 2026
This amount of focus (and arm strength) can discourage home cooks from attempting to make these exceptional NOLA dishes—but luckily, there is another way.
—Taylor Tobin, Southern Living, 5 Jan. 2026
It’s likely intended to discourage any popular uprising from opposition forces looking to take advantage of the chaos.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for discourage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discourage
Verb
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Games that are too easy bore older players, while overly complex games can frustrate younger ones.—
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But while Coogan racked up millions of views for his YouTube explainers about political figures like Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, he was frustrated by the hours of prep work that went into producing a single episode.—
Verb
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The reminder didn’t dissuade at least five park visitors from participating in a 2023 brawl that was captured on video, showing a woman and man throwing punches at each other and wrestling before others joined in.—
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By providing the Kichwa additional education and alternative sources of income, they’re dissuaded from hunting the more incredible animals in the rainforest.—
Verb
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Ryan Thornton, 37, of Racine, was initially charged in October in Dane County with stalking and misdemeanor counts of intimidating a victim and disorderly conduct.—
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Salerno claims her team was disqualified from the following meet, and then began to face intimidating stares from the trans athlete at public events.—
Verb
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Rhodes reveals that foundation repairs can cost anywhere between $10,000 to $50,000, a hefty sum that will deter many buyers.—
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Wind chimes and motion sprinklers can also be potentially used to deter wild deer from a specific location.—
Verb
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Moore’s task against Indiana’s stifling defense would have been daunting even with all his weapons.—
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Wildcats coach Steven Colletes said facing Oak Ridge is daunting but also good preparation with the postseason approaching.—
Verb
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The Secretary of State called the event an attempt to frighten public servants.—
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But monks there complained that the slain king was walking around at night, frightening them with strange sounds.—
Cite this Entry
“Discourage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discourage. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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