1
as in to paralyze
to deprive of courage or confidence
the mere sight of the forbidding cliffs demoralized the climbers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to discourage
to lessen the courage or confidence of
we refused to be demoralized by our humiliating defeat and vowed to come roaring back the following week
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to humiliate
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
felt society as a whole has been demoralized by the widespread availability of pornography
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of demoralize
Most teens feel like they’re not being heard when trying to get their point across to their parents, which can be demoralizing.
—
Mark Travers, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
The incident was nothing short of perverse: Israel targeted and killed people trying to make a dent in the imminent famine that Israel itself has engineered as part of its strategy to demoralize and destroy, in whole or in part*, the Palestinian population.
—Longreads, 18 Dec. 2024
This will demoralize war-weary Ukrainians, desperate for a lasting cease-fire and final settlement.
—Niall Ferguson, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2024
Some take medical leave and never return, haunted by the traumas of war and demoralized by bleak prospects for victory.
—Samya Kullab and Volodymyr Yurchuk, Los Angeles Times, 29 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for demoralize 
Mark Travers, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
The incident was nothing short of perverse: Israel targeted and killed people trying to make a dent in the imminent famine that Israel itself has engineered as part of its strategy to demoralize and destroy, in whole or in part*, the Palestinian population.
—Longreads, 18 Dec. 2024
This will demoralize war-weary Ukrainians, desperate for a lasting cease-fire and final settlement.
—Niall Ferguson, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2024
Some take medical leave and never return, haunted by the traumas of war and demoralized by bleak prospects for victory.
—Samya Kullab and Volodymyr Yurchuk, Los Angeles Times, 29 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for demoralize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demoralize
Verb
-
However, the database also safeguards against disruptions by providing a fully functional backup system in the event that a cyberattack paralyzes a hospital's primary billing database—which was not among our original goals when developing the tool.—
Chandler Barron,
Forbes,
13 Jan. 2025
-
It was also seen as a concession by Hezbollah and, some analysts said, an acknowledgment that the group was no longer in a position to paralyze the state.—
Christina Goldbaum,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
And some longtime women's hoops stars have denounced certain supporters of Clark and discouraged them from following the sport.—
Jackson Thompson,
Fox News,
8 Jan. 2025
-
Obama and his inner circle discouraged Biden from running for president in 2016, opting to prop up then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton instead.—
Elaine Mallon,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
8 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Illinois has the seventh-highest scoring offense in Division I, but was humiliated to 29 percent shooting, and the otherwise-excellent Kasparas Jakučionis had more turnovers (seven) than made baskets (five, on 15 tries).—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
The Athletic,
8 Jan. 2025
-
Over several years, victims were beaten, threatened and humiliated, while perpetrators befriended parents to screen them from the systemic abuse.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
4 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Tough competition, top golf Despite the strength of the field, Ribeiro says he isn’t intimidated and focuses on having fun while also trying to be competitive.—
Andy Frye,
Forbes,
13 Jan. 2025
-
However, Schenker says the organization’s ability to intimidate Lebanon’s population is diminishing.—
Efrat Lachter,
Fox News,
10 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
And with all the investigative resources and research methods of academia, I have been frustrated by the death of expertise on social media platforms that value high-frequency reactions and often baseless punditry—not rigor.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
17 Jan. 2025
-
The most recent deadline extensions weren’t announced until the day before the vouchers were set to expire, which frustrated him.—
Nora O’Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Alarming figures indicate that 40% of the earth’s land is already degraded, impacting half of the human population and half of the global GDP, underscoring the severity of the challenge faced by communities today.—
Sanam Mahoozi,
Forbes,
7 Jan. 2025
-
There are a number of ways that these tiny pieces of plastic can become airborne, including from sea spray, textiles sitting in landfills interacting with the wind, degrading tires as people drive, and more.7 Wildfire smoke is another common way people breathe in microplastics, Johnson said.—
Brian Mastroianni,
Health,
7 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Marina, frightened, fled the spa, almost leaving behind her shirt, and spent the next hour looking over her shoulder to see whether the woman had, in fact, called someone.—
Keith Gessen,
The New Yorker,
10 Jan. 2025
-
Some frightened residents even abandoned their cars on one of the only roads in and out of the upscale Pacific Palisades area, fleeing on foot from the engulfing blaze.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA TODAY,
8 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Elon Musk, one of Trump’s confidants, has already met with Iran’s UN ambassador; now that Israel has weakened Tehran and pummeled its proxies in the Middle East, a diplomatic breakthrough may be achievable.—
Charles A. Kupchan,
The Atlantic,
10 Jan. 2025
-
The widening yield differentials between Chinese and U.S. sovereign bonds could risk encouraging capital outflows and put further pressure on the yuan that has been weakening against the greenback.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
10 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near demoralize
Cite this Entry
“Demoralize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demoralize. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share