Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Feeling a loss of confidence, hope, or enthusiasm; disheartened: Describes the emotional state of someone who has become less determined or optimistic, often due to difficulties or setbacks.
   • Deterred or dissuaded from proceeding with an action or intention: Describes the state of being persuaded or influenced to not do something because of perceived obstacles or negative outcomes.

Usage

• As a descriptive adjective:
  • It is used to describe a person's feelings or state of mind.
  • It can be used with linking verbs like be, feel, become, look, or seem.
  • It can be followed by a prepositional phrase starting with by, about, or from to indicate the cause or focus of the discouragement.

Examples

• Adjective:
  • She felt discouraged by the constant rejections from publishers.
  • The team became discouraged after losing three games in a row.
  • He looked discouraged about his chances of finding a job in the current market.
  • Many young artists are easily discouraged from pursuing their passion.

Advanced Usage

• "to be/get discouraged": A common collocation describing the process or state of losing hope or enthusiasm.
  • Don't get discouraged by minor failures; they are part of learning.
• "easily discouraged": Describes a person whose confidence or resolve is fragile and quickly diminished.
  • He is talented but easily discouraged by criticism.

Variants and Related Words

• Discourage (verb): To cause someone to lose confidence or enthusiasm; to try to prevent something by showing disapproval or creating difficulties.
  • High prices are meant to discourage excessive consumption.
• Discouraging (adjective): Causing a loss of confidence or hope; disheartening.
  • The results of the survey were very discouraging.
• Discouragement (noun): A feeling of despair in the face of obstacles; an act of discouraging.
  • He persevered in the face of great discouragement.

Synonyms

• Disheartened: Having lost determination or confidence; dispirited.
• Dismayed: Struck with sudden distress, worry, or disappointment.
• Demoralized: Having lost confidence, hope, or morale; dispirited.
• Crestfallen: Sad and disappointed.

Related Phrases

• To become discouraged: To enter a state of discouragement.
  • She became discouraged when her efforts didn't yield immediate results.
• To feel discouraged: To experience the feeling of discouragement.
  • It's normal to feel discouraged sometimes, but don't give up.

Related Idioms

• To lose heart: To become discouraged.
  • The explorers never lost heart, even when the journey was toughest.
• Down in the dumps: Feeling unhappy or discouraged.
  • He's been down in the dumps since he didn't get the promotion.

Adjective

1. lacking in resolution
   • the accident left others discouraged about going there
2. made less hopeful or enthusiastic
   • desperate demoralized people looking for work
   • felt discouraged by the magnitude of the problem
   • the disheartened instructor tried vainly to arouse their interest