Discourage

Pronunciation: /dɪsˈkɜrɪdʒ/

Definitions of discourage

verb to cause someone to lose confidence or enthusiasm; to prevent or try to prevent someone from doing something

Example Sentences

A1 I discourage my sister from eating too much candy.

A2 The teacher discouraged the students from cheating on the exam.

B1 The negative feedback discouraged him from pursuing a career in acting.

B2 The lack of support from his family discouraged him from starting his own business.

C1 The constant criticism from his peers did not discourage him from pursuing his passion.

C2 Despite facing numerous setbacks, she was not discouraged from achieving her goals.

Examples of discourage in a Sentence

formal It is important for teachers to discourage cheating in schools.

informal My parents always discourage me from staying out too late.

slang I always try to discourage my friends from making bad decisions.

figurative The storm clouds seemed to discourage any hope of a sunny day.

Grammatical Forms of discourage

• past tense: discouraged
• plural: discourages
• comparative: more discouraged
• superlative: most discouraged
• present tense: discourages
• future tense: will discourage
• perfect tense: has discouraged
• continuous tense: is discouraging
• singular: discourage
• positive degree: encourage
• infinitive: to discourage
• gerund: discouraging
• participle: discouraged

Origin and Evolution of discourage

First Known Use: 0015 year

Language of Origin: Old French

Story behind the word: The word 'discourage' originated from the Old French word 'discouragier' which meant to dishearten or deprive of courage.

Evolution of the word: Over time, 'discourage' has evolved to mean to cause someone to lose confidence or enthusiasm, and to prevent or hinder something from happening.