easy
Do not discourage a friend who is learning.
What does Discourage mean?
Discourage means make someone less willing to try.
Dictionary definition
To make someone feel less hopeful, confident, or willing to try.
Example sentences
Discourage in a sentence
medium
One mistake should not discourage you from trying again.
hard
Helpful feedback can guide students without discouraging their effort.
Writing practice
Ready to write your own? Study the examples, then practice discourage in a sentence with Sentence Builder checklist feedback.
Quick practice
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Practice the meaning of Discourage
Answer three quick questions about its meaning and related words.
Question 1 of 3
Practice 1
What does discourage mean?
Discourage means to make someone feel less hopeful, confident, or willing to try.
Practice 2
Which sentence uses discourage correctly?
This sentence uses discourage to mean make someone less willing to keep trying.
Practice 3
Which word is an antonym of discourage?
Encourage means give support or confidence, which is the opposite of discourage.
Practice complete
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You completed 3 questions.
Pronunciation coach
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Discourage
Voice settings
Sounds like
dis · kur · ij · strongest beat: kur
Tap each sound part, then blend the whole word together.
Learn
WordDiscourage.
Partverb.
MeaningDiscourage means make someone less willing to try.
ExampleExample: Do not discourage a friend who is learning.
Word breakdown
3 syllables. Say each part, then blend the word.
- Syllables
- dis · kur · ij
- Strongest beat
- kur
- Ending
- ij
- Tip
- Put a little extra energy on kur.
Your turn
Say Discourage
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Nice work—you practiced discourage.
Synonyms
Words like Discourage
disheartenUse when someone loses hope or confidence.
deterUse when something makes someone less likely to act.
Antonyms
Opposite words
Synonym practice
Want to practice discourage synonyms in context? Try a Synonym Search question like "The reminder may deter students from leaving books behind," then compare close word choices. Practice discourage synonyms.
Word family
Discourage word family
Base word
courage
verb
discourage
To make someone less willing to try.
adjective
discouraged
Feeling less hopeful or confident.
noun
discouragement
The feeling or act of being discouraged.
Related words
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Student support
Understand Discourage
Hint for students
Discourage means make someone less willing to try.
Common mix-up
Discourage is not the same as encourage. Discourage means discourage means make someone less willing to try.
Try it in class or at home
Read this model sentence: One mistake should not discourage you from trying again. Clue words: one, mistake, should. Underline clue words that show why discourage fits instead of encourage. Now write one new sentence that shows discourage without using the word discourage. Ask: Does my sentence clearly show discourage?
Teacher prompt
Ask students to explain this model sentence: "One mistake should not discourage you from trying again." Why does discourage fit better than encourage?
Learning activities
Practice Discourage and explore more word games
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Sentence Builder
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Context Clue Challenge
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Synonym Search
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