Discourage1. (v. t.) To extinguish the courage of; to dishearten; to depress the spirits of; to deprive of confidence; to deject; -- the opposite of encourage; as, he was discouraged in his undertaking; he need not be discouraged from a like attempt.
2. (v. t.) To dishearten one with respect to; to discountenance; to seek to check by disfavoring; to deter one from; as, they discouraged his efforts.
3. (n.) Lack of courage; cowardliness.
Thesaurus Entries
afflict, anticipate, avert, awe, bar, beat down, blunt, bother, cast down, check, chill, cool, cow, damp, dampen, dampen the spirits, darken, dash, daunt, debar, deflect, deject, demoralize, depress, deter, disaffect, disapprove of, dishearten, disincline, disinterest, dismay, disparage, dispirit, dissuade, distract, distress, divert, droop, estop, exclude, faze, fend, fend off, forbid, foreclose, forestall, frighten, help, hinder, indispose, inhibit, intimidate, irk, keep from, keep off, knock down, lower, lower the spirits, obviate, oppose, oppress, overawe, preclude, press down, prevent, prohibit, put off, quench, repel, restrain, rule out, sadden, save, scare, shake, sink, slow, stave off, stop, suppress, talk out of, trouble, try, turn aside, turn away, turn from, turn off, unman, unnerve, vex, ward off, wean from, weigh, weigh heavy upon, weigh upon