To cause someone to lose hope, confidence, or determination; to try to prevent something by expressing disapproval.
From Old French 'descourager': 'des-' (to reverse) plus 'corage' (courage/heart). The verb emerged in English around the 16th century.
Interestingly, what 'discourages' one person motivates another—some people see failure as proof they should quit, while others see it as motivation to improve. This difference in how people interpret setbacks predicts success better than IQ.
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