demoralising
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Destructive of morale and self-reliance: Causing a loss of confidence, hope, or enthusiasm; having a disheartening or discouraging effect that undermines a person's spirit or determination.
Usage
The adjective "demoralising" is used to describe an event, situation, experience, or action that has a profoundly negative psychological impact, sapping motivation and belief in one's abilities. It is typically used attributively (before a noun) or predicatively (after a linking verb like "be" or "feel").
Examples
- Attributive use:
- The team suffered a demoralising defeat in the final minutes of the game.
- Working in such a toxic environment was a demoralising experience for the new employees.
- Predicative use:
- The constant criticism from the manager was utterly demoralising.
- To see all our hard work come to nothing felt incredibly demoralising.
Advanced Usage
- "to find something demoralising": To experience a specific thing as causing a loss of morale.
- Many staff members find the lack of clear communication from leadership demoralising.
- Comparative and Superlative Forms: "more demoralising", "most demoralising".
- The second failure was even more demoralising than the first.
Variants and Related Words
- Demoralise (verb): To undermine the confidence or morale of; to dishearten.
- The harsh feedback served only to demoralise the aspiring writer.
- Demoralised (adjective): Describing the state of having lost confidence or hope.
- After the project was cancelled, the demoralised team struggled to find motivation.
- Demoralisation (noun): The process or state of losing morale.
- The demoralisation of the workforce led to a sharp drop in productivity.
Synonyms
- Disheartening: Causing someone to lose determination or confidence.
- Dispiriting: Causing someone to lose enthusiasm or hope.
- Discouraging: Depriving of confidence or enthusiasm.
- Crushing: Overwhelmingly disheartening.
Antonyms
- Encouraging: Giving someone support, confidence, or hope.
- Heartening: Making someone feel cheerful or optimistic.
- Uplifting: Morally or spiritually elevating; inspiring happiness or hope.
Related Phrases and Idioms
- A demoralising blow: A severe setback that damages morale.
- The sudden budget cut was a demoralising blow to the entire department.
- To have a demoralising effect (on someone/something): To act as a cause of declining morale.
- The endless bureaucracy had a demoralising effect on the volunteers' enthusiasm.
Adjective
- destructive of morale and self-reliance