How to Use discouragement in a Sentence

discouragement

noun
  • He says that the tax is a discouragement to doing business in this state.
  • The team's losses have left fans with a feeling of discouragement.
  • Despite the discouragements of the past week, we need to continue moving forward.
  • She expressed discouragement over the difficulty of finding a good job.
  • Isn’t this discouragement enough to make drivers want to stay off our roads?
    — BostonGlobe.com, 30 Jan. 2020
  • In your life, some of that discouragement came from your own teachers, right?
    — Dahlia Bazzaz, The Seattle Times, 20 June 2017
  • But there was growing discouragement with the listless play of late.
    — San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Sep. 2019
  • There is discouragement because this feels like a lost season.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 26 Mar. 2021
  • Still, their constant discouragement is starting to wear on me.
    — Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 23 Nov. 2024
  • This isn’t just a lesson kids need to hear; parents deal with failure and discouragement too.
    — Kara Nesvig, Parents, 9 Oct. 2024
  • Our pacer witnessed some of our lowest points of tears, pain and discouragement.
    — Danielle Snyder, Outside Online, 1 Oct. 2019
  • So feelings of self-doubt, frustration, and discouragement start to kick in.
    — Sho Dewan, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
  • This prevents the stress and discouragement that comes from changes that appear to be endless and pointless.
    — Rob Harvey, Forbes, 2 June 2021
  • Spreading the workload helps avoid burnout and discouragement.
    — Kelly G. Richardson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Nov. 2023
  • Often, the message is one of caution rather than discouragement.
    — Washington Post, 24 Jan. 2022
  • Ask for the expert perspective that will save you time, trouble and discouragement.
    — Jed Brewer, Rolling Stone, 26 Apr. 2024
  • Americans need a pick-me-up to relieve their fatigue, discouragement, and grumpy mood.
    — Kevin Morrow, The Week, 28 Feb. 2022
  • Stepping into someone else’s hurt and discouragement can be a way to lift up both of us – the person and ourselves.
    — Terry Pluto, cleveland, 13 Nov. 2021
  • Be aware that this discouragement might not be based on solid facts, but rather on disappointed hopes and wishes.
    — Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 19 Mar. 2026
  • Family business owners feel guilt, shame and discouragement if those who depend on us are harmed.
    — CBS News, 5 Apr. 2020
  • Around him other young men offered advice and, in some cases, discouragement.
    — Raja Abdulrahim, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024
  • All creative people go through periods of doubt and discouragement, but those moments aren’t an end.
    — NBC News, 2 Apr. 2018
  • Those goals can lead to discouragement or a lack of accountability in tracking progress.
    — Rebecca Strong, Health, 20 July 2023
  • Williams hasn't considered dropping out of the labor force, but she's had many moments of discouragement.
    — Alexandria Burris, The Indianapolis Star, 15 June 2022
  • Setting smaller repayment goals along the way while paying off large debts can help prevent discouragement.
    — @nerdwallet, OregonLive.com, 13 May 2017
  • Gun control experts say the open-carry discouragements are not empty gestures.
    — Michael Corkery, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2019
  • The discouragement of history for lame ducks Biden's speech was shorter, and his message didn't come as a surprise.
    — Susan Page, USA TODAY, 25 July 2024
  • And there is discouragement from some parents, who tell their children that girls can’t learn, Yousefi told Stiven.
    — San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Feb. 2022
  • The other reason for his public discouragement is the spread of the delta variant around the country that has caused cases to spike in several states.
    — Dave Campbell, ajc, 3 Aug. 2021
  • This creates a cycle of guilt and discouragement that can quickly lead to burnout or abandoning the goal altogether.
    — Mark Travers, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'discouragement.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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