What does discouragement mean?
Discouragement is a noun describing the state of losing confidence, hope, or enthusiasm in the face of difficulty or failure. When someone experiences setbacks — repeated rejection, slow progress, harsh criticism — they may feel discouragement, a quiet draining of motivation that stands opposite to encouragement. The word also has a second, more formal sense: anything that actively deters people from acting, as when economists describe high taxes as 'a discouragement to investment.' Derived from the verb discourage, which traces back through Old French to the Latin cor meaning 'heart,' discouragement etymologically suggests a loss of heart. It pairs naturally with verbs like feel, face, and overcome, and with adjectives such as deep and crushing. Because it captures both an emotion and a deterrent force, discouragement remains a versatile word in psychological, motivational, and analytical writing alike, useful for naming the obstacles — internal and external — that stand between intention and achievement.
A feeling of having lost confidence, hope, or enthusiasm.
"Her early failures were a source of deep discouragement."
Often intensified by adjectives such as deep, bitter, or crushing.
Something that deters or tends to prevent someone from doing something.
"The steep fines serve as a discouragement to repeat offenders."
Rarely used in the plural; the word is usually uncountable. A plural form exists but is reserved for referring to multiple distinct instances of deterrence rather than the general emotion.
"Despite numerous discouragements along the way, she completed her degree."
Discouragement literally means having your 'heart' taken away — it comes from the Latin 'cor' for heart, the same root that gives us courage.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of discouragement
Discouragement derives from the verb discourage, which entered English in the late Middle Ages or early modern period from Old French descoragier, itself formed from the Latin prefix dis- ('apart, away') plus cor, cord- ('heart'). To discourage was thus originally to deprive someone of heart or courage. The noun discouragement followed, denoting both this deprivation of spirit and, by extension, any influence that deters. It shares its heart-root with words such as courage, encourage, and cordial, all ultimately tracing to the Latin cor.
Related word forms
How discouragement is actually used
Discouragement carries an inherently negative connotation and appears in both formal and everyday registers. In its second sense — a deterrent — it often appears in policy or economic writing (e.g. 'a discouragement to investment'), where it sounds slightly more formal than in emotional contexts.
Easily confused with discouragement
"Discouraging" is an adjective describing something that causes loss of hope (e.g. discouraging news), while "discouragement" is the noun naming the feeling itself.
"Dissuasion" is the act of advising someone against a course of action, whereas "discouragement" names both the resulting emotional deflation and any deterrent influence.