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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Discourage: Definition, Examples, and Usage Tips (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：dishearten (discourage)

discourage 🔊

/dɪˈskʌr.ɪdʒ/

vt.

To make someone feel less confident or hopeful about doing something.

dishearten 🔊

➕

/dɪsˈhɑːrtn/

vt.

To cause someone to lose confidence, hope, or enthusiasm for doing something.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Prefix 'dis-' (away) + 'courage' (heart/spirit) = to take away heart or spirit.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of 'Dis' as a negative force removing your 'courage' — like a bully stealing your confidence.

📖 Example

Her teacher's constant criticism didn't help her improve; it only served to discourage her from trying harder. 🔊 Her teacher's constant criticism didn't help her improve; it only served to discourage her from trying harder.

🔗 Collocations

be discouraged by – to have one's confidence reduced due to something

feel discouraged – to experience a loss of hope or motivation

become discouraged – to gradually lose confidence over time

🔄 Synonyms

dishearten (v.) – to cause someone to lose determination or hope

demoralize (v.) – to make someone feel less confident or less hopeful

deject (v.) – to make someone feel sad and without hope

🚫 Antonyms

encourage (v.) – to give someone support, confidence, or hope

inspire (v.) – to fill someone with the urge to do something creative or positive

hearten (v.) – to make someone feel more cheerful or hopeful

🌱 Derivatives

discouraging (adj.) – causing a loss of confidence or enthusiasm

discouragement (n.) – a feeling of having lost confidence or hope

discouraged (adj.) – having lost confidence or hope

📖 Cultural Story

From Latin 'discoragium' via Old French 'descouragier', literally 'to deprive of courage'. First used in English around the 15th century, it became a common word for dampening enthusiasm.

Meaning 2：dissuade (discourage)

discourage 🔊

/dɪˈskʌr.ɪdʒ/

vt.

To try to persuade someone not to do something because you think it's a bad idea.

dissuade 🔊

➕

/dɪˈsweɪd/

vt.

To try to persuade someone not to do something, typically because you think it is unwise or harmful.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

The doctor strongly discouraged him from eating too much sugar for the sake of his health. 🔊 The doctor strongly discouraged him from eating too much sugar for the sake of his health.

🔗 Collocations

discourage from doing – to advise someone not to take a specific action

strongly discourage – to express very firm opposition to an action

discourage the use of – to advise against employing or consuming something

🔄 Synonyms

dissuade (v.) – to persuade someone not to do something

deter (v.) – to discourage someone from doing something by making them doubt the outcome

inhibit (v.) – to restrain or prevent an action or feeling

🚫 Antonyms

encourage (v.) – to give support, confidence, or hope to someone to do something

persuade (v.) – to convince someone to do something

urge (v.) – to strongly recommend or push someone to do something

🌱 Derivatives

discouraging (adj.) – serving to dissuade or deter

discouragement (n.) – the act of dissuading or the state of being dissuaded

discouraged (adj.) – having been persuaded not to do something