discourage
C1Neutral/Formal
Definition
Meaning
To cause someone to lose confidence, enthusiasm, or the will to do something.
To actively try to prevent something from happening by showing disapproval or by creating difficulties.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Focuses on causing a loss of motivation or deterring action, often involving psychological or emotional influence.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant spelling or usage differences. Both use 'discourage from + -ing' as the primary pattern.
Connotations
Slightly more formal in American English; equally common in both varieties.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in written English than in casual speech in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
discourage somebodydiscourage somebody from somethingdiscourage somebody from doing somethingVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Don't let it discourage you.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Policies are designed to discourage fraudulent claims.
Academic
The study's limitations should not discourage further research in this area.
Everyday
His negative comments really discouraged me from applying.
Technical
The high impedance is meant to discourage current flow in that branch.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The weather discouraged us from having a picnic.
- We strongly discourage littering on the premises.
American English
- High prices discourage people from buying new cars.
- The coach didn't want to discourage the team.
adverb
British English
- He shook his head discouragingly.
- She smiled, but her words were discouragingly blunt.
American English
- The figures were discouragingly low.
- He spoke discouragingly about our chances.
adjective
British English
- The discouraging feedback made him reconsider his plans.
- It was a discouraging start to the project.
American English
- She found the test results discouraging.
- He gave a discouraging report on their progress.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My teacher encourages me but never discourages me.
- The rain discouraged our walk.
- I tried to discourage him from buying that old car.
- Bad reviews can discourage tourists from visiting a place.
- The complex regulations are likely to discourage foreign investment.
- We should not let initial failures discourage further experimentation.
- The government's rhetoric was deliberately intended to discourage political dissent.
- Rather than discouraging innovation, the setback spurred the team to redouble their efforts.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: DIS (remove) + COURAGE (bravery) = to remove someone's courage.
Conceptual Metaphor
DISCOURAGE IS AN OBSTACLE (e.g., 'put up barriers', 'create hurdles').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation from Russian 'дискурáживать' which is non-existent. Do not confuse with 'discourse'. The correct Russian equivalents are 'отговорить', 'разубедить', or 'лишать мужества'.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'I discourage you to go'. Correct: 'I discourage you from going'.
- Incorrect: 'She discouraged me for applying'. Correct: 'She discouraged me from applying'.
Practice
Quiz
Which preposition correctly follows 'discourage'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is followed by 'from' + noun or gerund (e.g., 'discourage from smoking').
'Discourage' means to reduce someone's confidence or will to act. 'Disappoint' means to fail to meet someone's hopes or expectations. You can be disappointed without being discouraged from trying again.
Rarely. Its core meaning is negative (deterring). However, it can be positive from the speaker's perspective if the action being discouraged is undesirable (e.g., 'discouraging pollution').
Yes, 'discouragement'. The more common related noun is 'courage'. There is no direct noun *'discourage'.