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Degrade vs Discourage - What's the difference?

degrade | discourage | Related terms |

In transitive terms the difference between degrade and discourage

is that degrade is to lower in value or social position while discourage is to persuade somebody not to do something.

As a noun discourage is

{{cx|rare|lang=en}} Lack of courage.

degrade

English

Verb

(degrad)
  • To lower in value or social position.
  • Fred degrades himself by his behaviour.
  • * Palfrey
  • Prynne was sentenced by the Star Chamber Court to be degraded from the bar.
  • To reduce in quality or purity.
  • The DNA sample has degraded .
  • (geology) To reduce in altitude or magnitude, as hills and mountains; to wear down.
  • Derived terms

    * degradation

    discourage

    English

    Verb

    (discourag)
  • To extinguish the courage of; to dishearten; to depress the spirits of; to deprive of confidence; to deject.
  • Don't be discouraged by the amount of work left to do: you'll finish it in good time.
  • * Bible, Col. iii. 21
  • Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged .
  • To persuade somebody not to do something.
  • * Abraham Lincoln
  • Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can.

    Antonyms

    * encourage

    See also

    * deter * dissuade

    Noun

    (-)
  • Lack of courage
  • Synonyms

    * (lack of courage) cowardliness