discouragement
noun
dis·cour·age·ment
di-ˈskər-ij-mənt 
-ˈkə-rij-
1
: the act of discouraging : the state of being discouraged
2
: something that discourages
Examples of discouragement in a Sentence
the discouragement of drug use among teenagers
She expressed discouragement over the difficulty of finding a good job.
The team's losses have left fans with a feeling of discouragement.
He says that the tax is a discouragement to doing business in this state.
Despite the discouragements of the past week, we need to continue moving forward.
Recent Examples on the Web
But comparing your financial journey to others’ successes can lead to discouragement.
—
Brian Kelly, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Those types of plays transform the Bulls offense — cracking open a defensive setup, sending a jolt of discouragement through an opposing defender.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2025
And finally, there were the states with no explicit prohibition on agricultural land rentals, but with strong discouragements of rentals through the establishment of lower-than-market maximum rental payments and minimum tenures for all rentals.
—Tim Hanstad, Foreign Affairs, 29 Apr. 2016
But comparing your financial journey to others’ successes can lead to discouragement.
—Brian Kelly, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discouragement
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Brian Kelly, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Those types of plays transform the Bulls offense — cracking open a defensive setup, sending a jolt of discouragement through an opposing defender.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2025
And finally, there were the states with no explicit prohibition on agricultural land rentals, but with strong discouragements of rentals through the establishment of lower-than-market maximum rental payments and minimum tenures for all rentals.
—Tim Hanstad, Foreign Affairs, 29 Apr. 2016
But comparing your financial journey to others’ successes can lead to discouragement.
—Brian Kelly, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discouragement
Cite this Entry
“Discouragement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discouragement. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
discouragement
noun
dis·cour·age·ment
dis-ˈkər-ij-mənt
-ˈkə-rij-
1
: an act of discouraging : the state of being discouraged
2
: something that discourages
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share