To discourage means to make someone feel less confident, hopeful, or enthusiastic about something. When your science experiment fails three times in a row, you might feel discouraged: you start doubting whether you'll ever get it right. When a coach constantly criticizes a player without offering help, that discourages the player from trying their best.

Discouragement can come from outside (like harsh criticism) or from within (like your own doubts after a setback). A string of bad grades might discourage a student from believing they're good at math. Repeated rejections might discourage an inventor from pursuing their idea.

The word also means to try to prevent someone from doing something. Parents might discourage their children from eating too much candy, or a teacher might discourage students from talking during a test. A “No Trespassing” sign discourages people from entering private property.

The opposite of discourage is encourage: to build someone up rather than tear them down. While setbacks naturally bring discouragement, many successful people pushed through those feelings. Thomas Edison faced thousands of failed experiments before inventing a practical lightbulb.