discourage

1 try to prevent; show opposition to; "We should discourage this practice among our youth" [syn: deter]

2 deprive of courage or hope; take away hope from; cause to feel discouraged [ant: encourage]

3 admonish or counsel in terms of someone's behavior; "I warned him not to go too far"; "I warn you against false assumptions"; "She warned him to be quiet" [syn: warn, admonish, monish]

English

Etymology

From descourager (modern: décourager), from descouragier, from des- and corage ().

Verb

1. To take away or reduce the courage of.
2. To persuade somebody not to do something.

   Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can (Abraham Lincoln )

Antonyms

• encourage

Translations

afflict, anticipate, avert, awe, bar, beat down, blunt, bother, cast down, check, chill, cool, cow, damp, dampen, dampen the spirits, darken, dash, daunt, debar, deflect, deject, demoralize, depress, deter, disaffect, disapprove of, dishearten, disincline, disinterest, dismay, disparage, dispirit, dissuade, distract, distress, divert, droop, estop, exclude, faze, fend, fend off, forbid, foreclose, forestall, frighten, help, hinder, indispose, inhibit, intimidate, irk, keep from, keep off, knock down, lower, lower the spirits, obviate, oppose, oppress, overawe, preclude, press down, prevent, prohibit, put off, quench, repel, restrain, rule out, sadden, save, scare, shake, sink, slow, stave off, stop, suppress, talk out of, trouble, try, turn aside, turn away, turn from, turn off, unman, unnerve, vex, ward off, wean from, weigh, weigh heavy upon, weigh upon