1
as in to paralyze
to deprive of courage or confidence
the mere sight of the forbidding cliffs demoralized the climbers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
This is frustrating and demoralizing for the person in that role.
—
Dr. Joel M. Rothaizer, McC, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Many Chicagoans still harbor deep distrust of the police, while the city’s officers are demoralized and fearful about what awaits them on streets where bad actors have no fear of law enforcement.
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2025
There, the demoralizing displays of dysfunction occur more often behind closed doors, and not in full public view.
—Dain Fitzgerald, The Washington Examiner, 6 June 2025
Discovery Ready to Offer Batman, Harry Potter, 'Friends' as Figures for Ads
The titular girl is Jiang Ning (Zhang Zifeng) a fiercely competitive skater who’s been going through a demoralizing period in her training.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for demoralize
Dr. Joel M. Rothaizer, McC, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Many Chicagoans still harbor deep distrust of the police, while the city’s officers are demoralized and fearful about what awaits them on streets where bad actors have no fear of law enforcement.
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2025
There, the demoralizing displays of dysfunction occur more often behind closed doors, and not in full public view.
—Dain Fitzgerald, The Washington Examiner, 6 June 2025
Discovery Ready to Offer Batman, Harry Potter, 'Friends' as Figures for Ads
The titular girl is Jiang Ning (Zhang Zifeng) a fiercely competitive skater who’s been going through a demoralizing period in her training.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for demoralize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demoralize
Verb
-
The widespread arrests have paralyzed parts of the city where high numbers of immigrants work, such as the Flower District downtown.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 July 2025
-
The toe-biter’s venom first paralyzes its prey and then dissolves its insides.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 July 2025
Verb
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Bailey made headlines leading up to the draft by reportedly discouraging Philadelphia from selecting him, and even attempted to do the same with Utah.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 July 2025
-
President Snow, facing growing unrest across the nation as a result of the pair’s joint victory, demands that Katniss and Peeta pretend to be in love during their Victory Tour to discourage any rebellions.—
Kelly Martinez Published,
EW.com,
5 July 2025
Verb
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Then two of his classmates did something magical. 'And I was humiliated again' The story Griffin started to tell began in first grade just after his family moved from one part of his suburban New York town to another, and Griffin was the new kid in school.—
Brad Schmitt,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
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Why risk thousands of dollars to be humiliated and possibly denied entry?—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 June 2025
Verb
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But moving from being a casual fan into understanding the intricacies of tennis can be intimidating.—
Caoimhe O'Neill,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
-
Alfredo Romero-Cortez, 48, was arrested and charged with aggravated rape, assault and battery on a household member, assault with a dangerous weapon, and intimidating a witness.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
8 July 2025
Verb
-
Williams often got frustrated with him and told him to be quiet.—
Michael Cuglietta,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 July 2025
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Even so, our reporting left me feeling mostly frustrated with my brain.—
Noah Haggerty,
Los Angeles Times,
2 July 2025
Verb
-
Customer service was once rated among the highest in the American Customer Satisfaction Index – until relentless budget cuts started to degrade it.—
Teresa Ghilarducci,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
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But, unlike metal drill bits, which generally last for years, these enabling molecules are designed to degrade very quickly, falling apart within a few days at most.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 July 2025
Verb
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But their return has also angered and frightened livestock farmers and others in rural communities who are having to learn to live alongside these once nearly-extinct creatures.—
Ruth Sherlock,
NPR,
9 July 2025
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But on Friday night, the booms and blasts of celebratory fireworks appear to have frightened them away.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 July 2025
Verb
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The first-quarter boom in U.S. trade is weakening, with merchandise trade somewhat atypically declining for the second straight month, according to my analysis of the the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data.—
Ken Roberts,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
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The June jobs report showed strong headline numbers, but the underlying data pointed to a weakening labor market.—
Danny Bakst,
Fortune,
9 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Demoralize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demoralize. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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