How to Use discourage in a Sentence

discourage

verb
  • Try not to let losing discourage you.
  • That type of behavior ought to be discouraged.
  • The area's dry climate discourages agriculture.
  • He claims the new regulations will discourage investment.
  • Grass helps keep the soil moist and the mix of plants discourages pest outbreaks.
    Aniruddha Ghosal, Fortune Asia, 25 Mar. 2024
  • The first quarter of a mile or so from the trailhead climbs steeply, but don’t be discouraged.
    John Meyer, The Denver Post, 13 May 2024
  • When faced with your true level of progress at present, you could be discouraged and want to give up.
    Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2024
  • Screens are not used in the classroom and are discouraged outside of the classroom as well.
    ​wendy Wisner, Parents, 30 July 2024
  • Lucky for us, Levine is a heel lover herself and doesn’t discourage them.
    Megan Soria, elle.com, 22 Apr. 2023
  • Not even a 5-25 record in her first year at Hebron could discourage her.
    Dallas News, 17 Jan. 2023
  • The best way to go about it is to not discourage them and show them other options that will also look great on them.
    Akili King, Essence, 17 Jan. 2024
  • Yet, that did not discourage those Phoenicians who sought a place to cool off that summer.
    Donna Reiner, The Arizona Republic, 17 June 2022
  • For a while the lights at the car wash were turned off at night to discourage groups from gathering, but now they are being left on again, the man said.
    Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 July 2024
  • Rather than being discouraged by the judge’s dismissal, Alioto told Ars that the gamers were pleased by Corley’s order.
    Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 21 Mar. 2023
  • Getting rid of fun colors and flavors could be a way to discourage kids from using them.
    Julia Landwehr, Health, 10 May 2023
  • The short-lived but heavy rain did not appear to discourage Phoenix Pride revelers, some of whom could be seen running to the gates as they got poured on.
    Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 16 Oct. 2022
  • Then the loss of such a unit can discourage young people from moving to the area, driving birth numbers even lower.
    Kff Health News, The Mercury News, 27 July 2024
  • New York officials have tried to discourage honking since at least the 1930s.
    Erin Nolan, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2024
  • Hanging the lights on trees or bushes is discouraged, as the deer often rub their antlers against plants or tree trunks to sharpen them during the rut.
    Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
  • The think tank discouraged Sunak from paying subsides in order to bring business back.
    Meghann Dyke, Washington Examiner, 4 June 2023
  • Cars are not banned but tamed, with street designs that discourage their use for all but essential trips.
    Doug Gordon, The New Republic, 19 Apr. 2023
  • To avoid discouraging students, some school districts did away with D and F grades.
    Karin Klein, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
  • Paich: Working on that film discouraged me a little bit from working on films.
    Max Evry, Pitchfork, 13 Oct. 2023
  • And while the mega-event may be a monumental moment for some, others are discouraged by the thought of big crowds and traffic jams.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 1 July 2024
  • Setting a budget that’s too low can be discouraging and even keep you from sticking with it, Ms. Kennedy said.
    Krysten Chambrot, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2024
  • Certainly can’t blame them for choosing to stay home during weather that would have discouraged Nanook of the North.
    Gail Collins, The Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2024
  • The goal isn’t to discourage people from asking these questions.
    Melissa Gira Grant, The New Republic, 16 Mar. 2023
  • There was a scene where Taylor-Joy’s character has to discourage a man from touching her against her will.
    Zack Sharf, Variety, 22 May 2024
  • Other attempts by supporters to sway the party vote have been discouraged.
    Reid J. Epstein, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2025
  • Owners and trainers hope that will assuage concerns by lawmakers and regulators and discourage the kind of backlash that would hinder growth of the sport.
    Contessa Brewer, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'discourage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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