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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of discourage
Brussels regulators are set to drop a case about whether Apple’s operating system discourages users from switching browsers or search engines, after Apple made a series of changes in an effort to comply with the bloc’s rules.
—
ArsTechnica, 28 Mar. 2025
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is an exception and discourages pediatricians in their clinics from treating unvaccinated patients.
—Jenny Gold, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Here’s how to discourage these persistent garden visitors.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 26 Mar. 2025
All of our drug policies must remain oriented toward discouraging drug use.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discourage
ArsTechnica, 28 Mar. 2025
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is an exception and discourages pediatricians in their clinics from treating unvaccinated patients.
—Jenny Gold, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Here’s how to discourage these persistent garden visitors.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 26 Mar. 2025
All of our drug policies must remain oriented toward discouraging drug use.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discourage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discourage
Verb
-
The team settled on a patient with SD Autism Spectrum disorder who had an ankle sprain but frustrated Dr. Langdon (Patrick Ball) with his endless questions.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Although so highly esteemed, the notoriously taciturn director would often frustrate his colleagues by his reticence to explain his directorial intentions.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
They were ultimately dissuaded by mortgage owners and housing authorities.—
Ann Rutledge,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
-
Correspondence between former Pardon Attorney Liz Oyer and the Justice Department indicates the department planned to dispatch U.S. marshals to deliver a letter seeking to dissuade her from talking at the event about allegations that she was fired for recommending Gibson’s gun rights be restored.—
Rebecca Beitsch,
The Hill,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
And, Wright says, human therapists should not be intimidated by their AI counterparts.—
Katia Riddle,
NPR,
7 Apr. 2025
-
For the past year and a half, our Arab, Palestinian, and Muslim community at Microsoft has been silenced, intimidated, harassed, and doxxed, with impunity from Microsoft.—
Jordan Novet,Hayden Field,
CNBC,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
In addition to an extended flowering season and piquant fragrance, catmints attract lots of pollinators and deter deer.—
Rita Pelczar,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Moreover, many are deterred from selling due to capital gains tax thresholds that have not kept pace with inflation, especially in high-growth housing markets.—
Ilona Limonta-Volkova,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
And though The Hunger Games is now a pop culture mainstay, both in book form and through the blockbuster movie franchise starring Jennifer Lawrence, Collins wasn't daunted by bringing a new version of the story to readers.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
People.com,
18 Mar. 2025
-
Don't be daunted by the common misconceptions about Web3.—
Nikita Sachdev,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
For the most part, yes, although children ages 8 and younger might be frightened by some of the action sequences.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Despite these protections on paper, permanent residents and visa-holders have been frightened by the speed and ferocity of the Trump administration’s crackdown and its bulldozing of due process rights, said Neil A. Weinrib, an immigration attorney for more than four decades.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Discourage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discourage. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share