discourage
Meaning(s)
1. to advise or act against; make someone feel less able
Popularity
High
Professional
High
Social
How to Memorize
discourage from, discouraging to see/hear
Analysis
'To discourage' someone means to advise them against doing something or to make them feel as if they are not capable of doing something. To discourage is the opposite of to encourage. You might discourage someone from doing something that might be damaging to themselves or others, or to prevent them from embarrassing you or themselves. This is a common verb used in social and professional contexts.
Social Examples (Basic)
- Teachers tried to discourage students from using drugs by educating them on the consequences.
- It was discouraging to see the many failed attempts at completing the challenge just before my turn to try.
Professional Examples (Basic)
- Welcome to your Employee Induction. I strongly discourage skipping the first page in your handout as it has important information.
- Even though many employees were on flexitime contracts they felt discouraged from leaving work on time due to pressure from upper management.