discourage

/dis'kʌridʤ/

Thân thiện

The teacher tries to discourage the student from giving up on the difficult math problem.

Definition

1. Verb:
   • To cause someone to lose confidence, enthusiasm, or hope: To make someone feel less confident or less willing to do something.
   • To advise or persuade someone against a course of action: To try to prevent something by showing disapproval or by arguing against it.

Usage

• The primary meaning is to make someone feel less hopeful or less confident about doing something.
• It is often used with the preposition 'from' when indicating the action being dissuaded (e.g., discourage someone doing something).
• It can describe an action that actively prevents or deters something.

Examples

• Verb:
  • Constant criticism can discourage even the most motivated students.
  • The high cost is meant to discourage unnecessary consumption.
  • I tried to discourage him from quitting his job without another offer.
  • The bad weather discouraged us from going on the hike.

Advanced Usage

• "to be discouraged": This passive/adjectival form describes the state of having lost confidence or hope.
  • She felt discouraged by the lack of progress.
• Used in formal or official contexts to describe policies or measures intended to prevent certain behaviors.
  • The new law aims to discourage illegal dumping.

Variants and Related Words

• Discouragement (n): The act of discouraging or the state of being discouraged; something that discourages.
  • He persevered despite many discouragements.
• Discouraging (adj): Causing someone to lose confidence or hope; disheartening.
  • The results of the test were discouraging.

Synonyms

• Dishearten: To cause someone to lose determination or confidence.
• Deter: To discourage someone from doing something by instilling doubt or fear of the consequences.
• Dissuade: To persuade someone not to take a particular course of action.

Antonyms

• Encourage: To give support, confidence, or hope to someone.
• Inspire: To fill someone with the urge or ability to do or feel something.

Related Phrases

• Discourage from: This is the standard construction for advising against an action.
  • Her parents discouraged her from moving abroad.

Học thuật

Verb

1. 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
2. deprive of courage or hope; take away hope from; cause to feel discouraged
3. try to prevent; show opposition to
   • We should discourage this practice among our youth

Từ đồng nghĩa

• warn
• admonish
• monish
• deter