DEMORALIZATION Synonyms: 53 Similar and Opposite Words

demoralization

noun

Definition of demoralization

as in degradation

a sinking to a state of low moral standards and behavior a general state of demoralization prevailed at every level of the government

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in despair

the state of being discouraged the officers struggled to combat the demoralization of the troops as their tour of duty grew longer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of demoralization Because many women have dealt with demoralization and shame for years, cognitive behavioral therapy can also help. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 27 July 2026 The result is exhaustion and quiet demoralization. — Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks, Fortune, 13 May 2026 Would your organization be able to recover from the loss and demoralization to do its work? — Tracy Stone-Manning, Denver Post, 21 Apr. 2026 Nothing could quite match that, but Michigan’s 90-73 demoralization of Arizona got close. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026 The melancholy truth is that things have sunk into a morass of demoralization and low standards, with journalism inhabiting the poverty sector among the disciplines, and this at a time when communications nationally and internationally have reached an apex of urgency and complexity. — David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for demoralization

Noun

In the small-cap space, Piper Sandler's Tenthoff likes Monte Rosa Therapeutics, a pioneer in protein degradation that selectively destroys disease-causing proteins.

— Paulina Likos, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
The degradation of Starshield is estimated to have cost Ukraine tens of millions of dollars in losses, according to an analysis by Dimko Zhluktenko, a drone pilot and analyst in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

— Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of degradation

Noun

Democrats have targeted Paxton, who is benefiting from millions in outside spending, over corruption claims and his impeachment by the Texas Legislature, though he was later acquitted.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
Even leftist lawmakers support to some of those ideas in the wake of a corruption scandal that ensnared the court.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of corruption

Noun

When news got around that a new movie version of Sense and Sensibility was in the works, cries of dismay rang forth from Bath to Brooklyn.

— Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
To his dismay, many of the exultant people in cowboy hats, burnt orange T-shirts and other spirit gear appeared to be of South Asian heritage.

— Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of dismay

Browse Nearby Words

demonstrators

demoralization

demoralize

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Demoralization.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demoralization. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of demoralization

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

shindig

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes