demoralize
/di'mɔrəlaiz/ Cách viết khác : (demoralise) /di'mɔrəlaiz/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb (transitive):
- To undermine the confidence, morale, or spirit of a person or group: To make someone lose hope, enthusiasm, or courage, often leading to disorganization or ineffectiveness.
- To corrupt the morals of someone: To lead someone away from principles of good conduct; to deprave. (This meaning is less common in modern general usage but is part of the word's historical definition.)
Usage and Examples
- Primary Meaning (to discourage, dishearten):
- The team's constant losses began to demoralize even the most optimistic players.
- Harsh and unfair criticism from a manager can demoralize an entire department.
- Secondary/Historical Meaning (to corrupt morals):
- The novel was once banned for fear it would demoralize the youth. (Note: In contemporary English, words like "corrupt" are more typical for this sense.)
Advanced Usage and Nuances
- "Demoralized" (adjective): Describing the state of being dispirited.
- After the failed project, the demoralized staff struggled to find motivation.
- The effect of demoralizing is often gradual and systemic, affecting group cohesion and individual performance over time.
- It is frequently used in contexts like military, workplace, sports, and political campaigns where morale is critical.
Variants and Related Words
- Demoralization (noun): The process or result of being demoralized.
- The demoralization of the workforce led to a decline in productivity.
- Demoralizing (adjective): Describing an action or situation that causes demoralization.
- The demoralizing news spread quickly through the community.
- Demoralise: British English spelling variant.
Synonyms
- Discourage: To cause someone to lose confidence or enthusiasm.
- Dispirit: To cause someone to lose hope or spirit.
- Dishearten: To make someone lose determination or confidence.
- Undermine: To weaken or impair gradually (often used for confidence or authority).
Antonyms
- Encourage: To give support, confidence, or hope.
- Inspire: To fill someone with the urge or ability to do or feel something.
- Motivate: To provide someone with a reason to act in a certain way.
- Boost morale: To improve the confidence or spirits of a group.
Related Phrases and Contexts
- A demoralizing defeat: A loss so complete it damages the spirit of the losing side.
- To demoralize the opposition: A strategic goal in competitions or debates to weaken the opponent's resolve.
- Morale-boosting (antithetical concept): Actions intended to improve spirits, the opposite of demoralizing.
Verb
- confuse or put into disorder
- the boss's behavior demoralized everyone in the office
- lower someone's spirits; make downhearted
- These news depressed her
- The bad state of her child's health demoralizes her
- corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality
- debauch the young people with wine and women
- Socrates was accused of corrupting young men
- Do school counselors subvert young children?
- corrupt the morals