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Discourage vs Encourage - What's the difference?

discourage | encourage | Antonyms |

Encourage is a antonym of discourage.



As verbs the difference between discourage and encourage

is that discourage is to extinguish the courage of; to dishearten; to depress the spirits of; to deprive of confidence; to deject while encourage is to mentally support; to motivate, give courage, hope or spirit.

As a noun discourage

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

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

    encourage

    English

    Verb

    (encourag)
  • To mentally support; to motivate, give courage, hope or spirit.
  • I encouraged him during his race.
  • To spur on, strongly recommend.
  • We encourage the use of bicycles in the town centre.
  • To foster, give help or patronage
  • ''The royal family has always encouraged the arts in word and deed

    Synonyms

    * (l) * (l)

    Antonyms

    * discourage

    Derived terms

    * encouragement * encouraging * encouragingly