Adjective discouraging has 2 senses
  1. discouraging - depriving of confidence or hope or enthusiasm and hence often deterring action; "where never is heard a discouraging word"
    Antonyms:
    encouraging, exhortative, exhortatory, hortative, hortatory, heartening, inspiriting, promotive, rallying
  2. discouraging - expressing disapproval
    Antonym:
    persuasive (indirect, via dissuasive)
,Verb discourage has 3 senses
  1. deter, discourage - try to prevent; show opposition to; "We should discourage this practice among our youth"
    --1 is one way to disapprove, reject
    Derived form: noun discouragement3
    Sample sentence:
    They discourage him from writing the letter
  2. discourage - deprive of courage or hope; take away hope from; cause to feel discouraged
    Antonyms:
    encourage
    Derived form: noun discouragement1
    Sample sentence:
    The bad news will discourage him
  3. warn, discourage, admonish, monish - admonish or counsel in terms of someone's behavior; "I warned him not to go too far"; "I warn you against false assumptions"; "She warned him to be quiet"
    --3 is one way to advise, counsel
    Sample sentences:
    Sam cannot discourage Sue
    They discourage him from writing the letter
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