Standard Lemma guide

discouraged

adj · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /dɪsˈkʌɹɪd͡ʒd/
  • General-American: /dɪsˈkɝɪd͡ʒd/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 S K ER1 AH0 JH D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: D IH0 S K ER1 IH0 JH D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Having lost confidence or hope; dejected; disheartened.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • deeply discouraged
  • easily discouraged
  • feel discouraged
  • She felt discouraged after several unsuccessful interviews.
  • The coach warned the team not to become discouraged.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

unrecommended; unprescribed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

simple past and past participle of discourage

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, participle, past

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

made less hopeful or enthusiastic

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • desperate demoralized people looking for work
  • felt discouraged by the magnitude of the problem
  • the disheartened instructor tried vainly to arouse their interest

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: demoralized, demoralised, disheartened

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

lacking in resolution

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the accident left others discouraged about going there

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

7 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Macedonian: обесхрабрен (obeshrabren) — disheartened
  • Plautdietsch: mootlooss — disheartened
  • Plautdietsch: onmootich — disheartened
  • Portuguese: desencorajado — disheartened
  • Portuguese: desanimado — disheartened
  • French: déconseillé — not recommended
  • Portuguese: desaconselhado — not recommended
Real reading context

discouraged in complete knowledge articles