as in despair
the state of being discouraged
I tried desperately to avoid discouragement after failing the bar exam twice
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Recent Examples of discouragement
At the time, Joel was also passionate about motorcycles, despite both the record and the insurance company's discouragement.
—
Marina Watts, People.com, 6 June 2025
Similarly, entrepreneurs should extract valuable insights from rejections while discarding the discouragement.
—Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
And the emotional toll and anxiety keep mounting up: discouragement, depression, and a reluctance to even try anymore.
—Robin Ryan, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
Economic cooling, policy discouragement of conspicuous consumption, and a younger generation’s shifting priorities have combined to erode growth assumptions.
—Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discouragement
Marina Watts, People.com, 6 June 2025
Similarly, entrepreneurs should extract valuable insights from rejections while discarding the discouragement.
—Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
And the emotional toll and anxiety keep mounting up: discouragement, depression, and a reluctance to even try anymore.
—Robin Ryan, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
Economic cooling, policy discouragement of conspicuous consumption, and a younger generation’s shifting priorities have combined to erode growth assumptions.
—Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discouragement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discouragement
Noun
-
Joe’s despair reminded me of a conversation my colleague Charlie Warzel had with the writer and technology theorist L. M. Sacasas in 2022.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
18 July 2025
-
What kind of despair would people feel upon the discovery that their source of joy, belonging, and meaning was a farce?—
Paul Bloom,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
Many of Colbert’s regular guests shared their dismay.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
18 July 2025
-
However, fans were upset by the wording of the question and shared their dismay on social media.—
Stephanie Wenger,
People.com,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Discouragement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discouragement. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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