Discourage

Part of speech: noun (n.)

Lack of courage; cowardliness.

Part of speech: verb (v.)

1. To extinguish the courage of; to dishearten; to depress the spirits of; to deprive of confidence; to deject; -- the opposite of encourage; as, he was discouraged in his undertaking; he need not be discouraged from a like attempt. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. Col. iii. 21.

2. To dishearten one with respect to; to discountenance; to seek to check by disfavoring; to deter one from; as, they discouraged his efforts.

Synonyms: dishearten; dispirit; depress; deject; dissuade; disfavor.