Discourage

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /dɪsˈkʌɹɪd͡ʒ/

Definitions

1. To make someone feel less confident, enthusiastic, or willing to do something by expressing disapproval or highlighting difficulties
2. To lessen an individual's desire or confidence by emphasizing potential drawbacks or showing a negative attitude
3. To diminish someone's motivation or self-assurance by pointing out possible challenges or expressing a lack of support

Etymology: Before it meant "to dishearten," the core of this word was courage. It comes from Old French "corage," which descends from Latin "cor," meaning "heart," and the Old French verb "descouragier" was built by adding the prefix "des-," which signals removal or reversal. To discourage someone was, quite literally, to take the heart out of them. The same prefix works the same way in English. Adding "dis-" to "courage" gives the sense of taking away courage, and English adopted the verb from Middle French "descourager," which is the form most English speakers would recognise as the immediate ancestor. Modern French still uses "décourager" with the same sense. Because the word is built on "heart," many English words for emotional states trace back to the same organ, so "discourage" is a clear example of how physical body imagery shaped the language of feeling.

Synonyms: dissuade, deter, hamper, hinder, frustrate

Antonyms: encourage, motivate, promote, inspire, support