dis·cour·age

(dĭ-skûr′ĭj, -skŭr′-)

tr.v. dis·cour·aged, dis·cour·ag·ing, dis·cour·ag·es

1. To deprive of confidence, hope, or spirit: Making so little progress after so much effort discouraged us.

2. To dissuade or deter (someone) from doing something: My adviser discouraged me from applying to big universities.

3. To try to prevent by expressing disapproval or raising objections: The agency discouraged all travel to the areas hardest hit by the disease.

[Middle English discoragen, from Old French descoragier : des-, dis- + corage, courage; see courage.]

dis·cour′age·a·ble adj.

dis·cour′ag·er n.

dis·cour′ag·ing·ly adv.

Synonyms: discourage, dishearten, dismay, dispirit
These verbs mean to make less hopeful or enthusiastic: researchers who were discouraged by the problem's magnitude; apathy that disheartened the instructor; did not let the technical difficulties dismay them; a failure that dispirited the team.

Antonym: encourage

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

discouraging

(dɪsˈkʌrɪdʒɪŋ)

adj

causing a loss of confidence and determination

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Adj.	1.	discouraging - depriving of confidence or hope or enthusiasm and hence often deterring action; "where never is heard a discouraging word" unhelpful - providing no assistance hopeless - without hope because there seems to be no possibility of comfort or success; "in an agony of hopeless grief"; "with a hopeless sigh he sat down" dissuasive - deterring from action; "dissuasive advice"; "made a slight dissuasive gesture with her hand" encouraging - giving courage or confidence or hope; "encouraging advances in medical research"
	2.	discouraging - expressing disapproval dissuasive - deterring from action; "dissuasive advice"; "made a slight dissuasive gesture with her hand"

discouraging

adjective disheartening, disappointing, depressing, daunting, dampening, unfavourable, off-putting (Brit. informal), dispiriting, unpropitious We have had a discouraging response to our appeal.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

αποθαρρυντικός

décourageant

scoraggiante

discouraging

[dɪsˈkʌrɪdʒɪŋ] ADJ → desalentador
he was discouraging about it → habló de ello en tono pesimista

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

discouraging

[dɪsˈkʌrɪdʒɪŋ] adj [news, results] → décourageant(e)

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

discouraging

adj → entmutigend; he was rather discouraging about her chances → er äußerte sich ziemlich entmutigend über ihre Chancen

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

discouraging

[dɪsˈkʌrɪdʒɪŋ] adj → scoraggiante, avvilente

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

This was a most ill-timed and discouraging blow, but Mr.

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She turned from the well and said, in the most discouraged tone, not knowing that I was where I could hear her, "We can't even get water to drink at this school." I think no one remark ever came so near discouraging me as that one.

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It was an expression of unconscious placid gravity--of absorption in thoughts that had no connection with the present moment or with her own personality--an expression that is most of all discouraging to a lover.

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It was too discouraging. She would not read the story to Gilbert, although she told him about it.

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If I did not ask myself whether, limited by such discouraging impossibilities, life were still worth living, it was only because I had then before me several other pressing questions, some of which have remained unanswered to this day.

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In short, there was no discouraging uniformity in these higher regions of the book-case.

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He thought it very discouraging that his wife, who was the sole object of his existence, evinced so little interest in things which concerned him, and valued so little his conversation.

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But the Judge had a most discouraging way of fluctuating.

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The Home Ministry has decided to stop visa for the North Koreans discouraging their stay here.

Communist government unfriendly with North Korean citizens

Minister said quality of education is need of the hour and teachers should play their productive role for discouraging this cheating system in exams instead of going in the protests.

Teacher training for quality education during exams stressed: minister

DepEd: No ban, but inviting bets to graduation rites 'highly discouraged' !-- -- (philstar.com) - March 5, 2019 - 11:23am MANILA, Philippines Schools can still invite candidates to speak at their graduation rites, the Department of Education said Tuesday while also discouraging the practice because of the coming May elections.

DepEd: No ban, but inviting bets to graduation rites 'highly discouraged'

Says media should play role in discouraging fake newsISLAMABAD: Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Chairman Muhammad Saleem presented PEMRA's performance report of its operations and accounts for the Financial Years 2015-18 to President Dr Arif Alvi at Aiwan-e-Sadar on Wednesday.The president, while appreciating the efforts of PEMRA, directed that PEMRA should make this report a regular annual feature to keep abreast all stakeholders about regulatory initiatives and their micro and macro-economic impact on the national landscape.

PEMRA chairman presents performance report to President Alvi