discourage

Verb
Synonyms: deterwarnadmonishmonish

WordNet 3.0

Verb (3)

  1. try to prevent; show opposition to“We should discourage this practice among our youth”Synonyms: deter
  2. deprive of courage or hope; take away hope from; cause to feel discouraged
  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”Synonyms: warnadmonishmonish
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Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Discourage \Dis*cour"age\, n. Lack of courage; cowardliness. [1913 Webster]
Discourage \Dis*cour"age\ (?; 48), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Discouraged; p. pr. & vb. n. Discouraging.] [Pref. dis- + courage: cf. OF. descoragier, F. d['e]courager: pref. des- (L. dis-) + corage, F. courage. See Courage.]

1.To extinguish the courage of; to dishearten; to depress the spirits of; to deprive of confidence; to deject; -- the opposite of encourage; as, he was discouraged in his undertaking; he need not be discouraged from a like attempt. [1913 Webster]

Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.— Col. iii. 21.[1913 Webster]

2.To dishearten one with respect to; to discountenance; to seek to check by disfavoring; to deter one from; as, they discouraged his efforts.

Syn: To dishearten; dispirit; depress; deject; dissuade; disfavor. [1913 Webster]

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