discourage

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They kept saying the money was a gift and that they would support whatever decision we made, but at the same time, they repeatedly called and texted to discourage us.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

A frenzied debate has gripped campus, with students protesting that the changes would increase stress, fuel competition and discourage academic exploration.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Surely, Jackson wrote, a state can direct doctors to discourage, and not encourage, smoking cigarettes.

From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026

The rejection didn’t discourage her, instead she was inspired by the level of talent and pushed by the networking.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

Dinner over, I put the remains in the plastic bag that served as a tablecloth and tie it up tightly to discourage the flies that have free access to my essentially screenless abode.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich