-
Discourage is a transitive verb that is commonly used to mean demotivate, dissuade, or deter someone from pursuing a particular action, idea, or goal. It involves instilling a sense of doubt, fear, or negativity in an individual or group, with the intention of deterring them from continuing with their plans or aspirations. This term often suggests the intention of hindering or suppressing someone's enthusiasm, determination, or confidence.
When someone is discouraged, they may experience a decrease in motivation or feel disheartened, leading them to lose interest or give up on their pursuits. Discouragement can manifest through a variety of means, such as criticism, negative feedback, lack of support, or highlighting potential obstacles or risks. It can be conveyed through verbal or nonverbal communication, and can be carried out by individuals, groups, or even societal norms.
Discouragement can have a significant impact on an individual's mental and emotional state, as it influences their self-belief and perception of their abilities. However, it is important to note that discouragement is not always intentionally malicious. Sometimes, it may be aimed at protecting someone from potential harm or steering them towards a more suitable path.
In summary, the term "discourage" refers to the act of demotivating or dissuading someone from pursuing a particular action or goal, often by instilling doubt, fear, or negativity. It involves hindering or suppressing enthusiasm, determination, or confidence, and can significantly impact an individual's mindset and actions.
-
To depress the spirits; to dishearten; to dissuade; to deter from.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "discourage" originated from the Old French word "descoragier" which means "to discourage" or "to dishearten". It is a combination of the prefix "des-" meaning "away" or "apart", and the word "corage" which comes from the Latin word "cor" meaning "heart". Therefore, the literal meaning of "discourage" is to take away or diminish someone's heart or courage.
CONDITIONAL PERFECT
I
would have discouraged
you
would have discouraged
he/she/it
would have discouraged
we
would have discouraged
they
would have discouraged
I
would have discourage
you
would have discourage
he/she/it
would have discourage
we
would have discourage
they
would have discourage
CONDITIONAL PERFECT PROGRESSIVE
I
would have been discouraging
you
would have been discouraging
he/she/it
would have been discouraging
we
would have been discouraging
they
would have been discouraging
CONDITIONAL PRESENT
I
would discourage
you
would discourage
he/she/it
would discourage
we
would discourage
they
would discourage
CONDITIONAL PRESENT PROGRESSIVE
I
would be discouraging
you
would be discouraging
he/she/it
would be discouraging
we
would be discouraging
they
would be discouraging
FUTURE
I
will discourage
you
will discourage
he/she/it
will discourage
we
will discourage
they
will discourage
FUTURE CONTINUOUS
I
will be discouraging
you
will be discouraging
he/she/it
will be discouraging
we
will be discouraging
they
will be discouraging
FUTURE PERFECT
I
will have discouraged
you
will have discouraged
he/she/it
will have discouraged
we
will have discouraged
they
will have discouraged
FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS
I
will have been discouraging
you
will have been discouraging
he/she/it
will have been discouraging
we
will have been discouraging
they
will have been discouraging
IMPERATIVE
you
discourage
we
let´s discourage
to discourage
PAST CONTINUOUS
I
was discouraging
you
were discouraging
he/she/it
was discouraging
we
were discouraging
they
were discouraging
PAST PARTICIPLE
discouraged
PAST PERFECT
I
had discouraged
you
had discouraged
he/she/it
had discouraged
we
had discouraged
they
had discouraged
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
I
had been discouraging
you
had been discouraging
he/she/it
had been discouraging
we
had been discouraging
they
had been discouraging
PRESENT
I
discourage
you
discourage
he/she/it
discourages
we
discourage
they
discourage
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
I
am discouraging
you
are discouraging
he/she/it
is discouraging
we
are discouraging
they
are discouraging
PRESENT PARTICIPLE
discouraging
PRESENT PERFECT
I
have discouraged
you
have discouraged
he/she/it
has discouraged
we
have discouraged
they
have discouraged
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
I
have been discouraging
you
have been discouraging
he/she/it
has been discouraging
we
have been discouraging
they
have been discouraging
PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE
he/she/it
discourage
SIMPLE PAST
I
discouraged
you
discouraged
he/she/it
discouraged
we
discouraged
they
discouraged
