discouragement
/dɪsˈkʌrɪdʒm(ə)nt
/noun
1 [mass noun] A loss of confidence or enthusiasm; dispiritedness: do not give in to discouragement...
- Such labelling has serious consequences for all members of the group concerned, often leading to discouragement.
- Their own families have never uttered a word of discouragement.
- During the resultant three-hour detour, we encountered sundry additional discouragements.
Synonyms
dispiritedness, downheartedness, dejection, depression, demoralization, disappointment, despondency, hopelessness, lack of enthusiasm, lack of confidence, pessimism, despair, gloom, gloominess, low spirits
informal cold feet
deterrent, disincentive;
hindrance, obstacle, impediment, barrier, curb, check, damper, restraint, constraint, restriction;
dissuasion
informal put-down
archaic damp
2An attempt to prevent something by showing disapproval or creating difficulties; deterrent: the discouragement of crime...
- There is far too many who seem to believe they have a ministry of discouragement.
- The South Korean government is also slowly changing its long-time discouragement of foreign participation in the economy.
- There is a stronger tradition of discouragement of close modeling of writing than there is of close modeling of imagery.