demoralize
1 of 1verb/dɪˈmɔrəlaɪz/
Forms:demoralizes,demoralizing,demoralized,demoralized
1
to make someone feel sad or less hopeful by weakening their confidence, mood, etc.
transitive- The harsh criticism from her classmates demoralized her during the presentation.
- Despite the challenges, she refused to let the setbacks demoralize her.
- Constant failures demoralized the team, but they eventually bounced back.
- Despite setbacks in the gardening project, he refused to let them demoralize him.
- The constant disruptions in the online meeting demoralize the team, making it hard to stay focused and get work done.
Antonyms:
2
to undermine or weaken someone's moral principles
transitive- The exposure to violent video games at a young age can demoralize children.
- The corrupting influence of organized crime demoralizes individuals by normalizing unethical behavior.
- The exploitative practices of certain industries, such as human trafficking, demoralize society.
- The exploitation of vulnerable workers in sweatshops demoralizes communities by perpetuating cycles of poverty and injustice.
- The glamorization of materialism in popular culture demoralizes individuals.
3
to disrupt the normal functioning or order of someone or something
transitive- The power outage demoralized the manufacturing plant, causing production delays and financial losses.
- The computer virus demoralized the office, resulting in a temporary shutdown of the network and loss of data.
- The mismanagement of funds demoralized the nonprofit organization, jeopardizing its ability to fulfill its mission.
- The scheduling conflicts demoralized the theater troupe, disrupting rehearsals and delaying the opening night.
- The lack of coordination demoralized the volunteer group, resulting in inefficiencies.