What does discouraging mean?
Discouraging is an adjective describing anything that causes a loss of confidence, hope, or enthusiasm. Discouraging news, discouraging exam results, or a discouraging economic forecast all make people feel less able or willing to carry on. The word also covers deliberate deterrence: a discouraging tone, warning sign, or high price may actively put someone off a course of action. It derives ultimately from the Latin cor, meaning heart, via Old French courage — so to discourage someone was originally to deprive them of heart or spirit. Its natural opposite is encouraging, and its related noun is discouragement. Because it applies so readily to reports, trends, and signals, it appears frequently in journalism, business writing, and everyday conversation alike: "The early sales figures were discouraging." Versatile and neutral in register, it remains one of the most useful words for expressing setback without exaggeration.
adjectiveCausing someone to lose confidence, hope, or enthusiasm; disheartening. It can also describe something that tends to deter or put a stop to a course of action.
- (of news, signs, results) causing loss of confidence or hope; disheartening.
- (of a measure, tone, or behaviour) tending to prevent or deter someone from doing something.
"The discouraging results of the first trial nearly ended the research programme."
"The team found the discouraging feedback hard to accept after months of work."
"High prices can have a discouraging effect on first-time buyers."
At its root, to discourage literally means to take away someone's heart — from the Latin cor, meaning heart.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of discouraging
Discouraging comes from the verb discourage, which entered English from French in the late Middle Ages, formed on Old French descoragier — literally "to deprive of courage". That word traces back through Late Latin to cor, cordis, the Latin word for heart, the same root that gives us courage, cordial, concord, and accord. The adjective sense "causing loss of confidence" developed naturally from the verb's present participle and became well established by the early modern period.
Related word forms
How discouraging is actually used
Neutral in register and suitable for both formal and informal contexts. It is most often applied to abstract things — news, figures, trends, prospects — rather than people; describing a person as "discouraging" usually means they behave in a way that deters others.
Easily confused with discouraging
"Discouraged" describes the person who has lost confidence, while "discouraging" describes the thing that causes that loss of confidence.