▪ I. † diˈscourage, n. Obs.
[f. dis- 9 + courage n.: or f. discourage v.]
Want or failure of courage; the state of discouragement.
| c 1500 Three King's Sons 105 Their enemyes were in suche discorage that thei durst not wele be seen at no scarmyssh. 1548 Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Matt. v. (R.), Many..be brought in discourage of themselves, by the reason of pouertie..or by aduersitie. 1586 Bright Melanch. xxxiii. 184 They are faint-hearted, and full of discourage. 1611 Speed Theat. Gt. Brit. ix. (1614) 17/1 Causing their king Canute with discourage to retire. |
▪ II. discourage, v.
(dɪˈskʌrɪdʒ)
Also 5–6 dis-, dyscorage (6 dischorage).
[ad. OF. descoragier, later descourager, mod.F. décourager; f. des-, dis- 4 + corage, courage n.]
1. trans. To deprive of courage, confidence, or moral energy; to lessen the courage of; to dishearten, dispirit. The opposite of encourage.
| 1481 Caxton Godfrey cxxxii. 196 How therle of chartres discoraged themperour of Constantinople that he shold not goo and socoure our peple. 1535 Coverdale Jer. xxxviii. 4 Thus he discorageth the hondes of the soudyers y{supt} be in this cite, and the hondes of all the people. 1611 Bible Transl. Pref. 2 His Royall heart was not daunted or discouraged. 1684 Bunyan Pilgr. ii. 21, I think no Slow of Despond would discourage me. 1725 De Foe Voy. round World (1840) 253 He would be very far from discouraging me. 1855 Macaulay Hist. Eng. III. 232 No trick, no lie, which was thought likely to discourage the starving garrison was spared. |
| absol. 1789 A. Seward Lett. (1811) II. 226 Difficulty rather stimulates than discourages. |
b. with complement: To deter (by discouragement) † to do something (obs.); from († for) an act.
| 1529 More Suppl. Soulys Wks. 337/1 Not for y{supt} we wold discorage you to dispose well your goodes when ye dye. 1529 Supplic. to King (E.E.T.S.) 36 This they doo to dyscorage all men from the studye of Gods Worde. 1598 R. Bernard tr. Terence (1607) 337 The poet..was nowe almost discouraged for taking any more paines. a 1682 Sir T. Browne Tracts (1684) 191 It discouraged from all Navigation about it. a 1698 Temple (J.), Unless you..discourage them to stay with you by using them ill. 1699 W. Dampier Voy. II. i. 89 The Seamen are discouraged from fishing for them by the King. 1756 C. Lucas Ess. Waters II. 3 We shall be discouraged from the laborious..task. |
† c. transf. and fig. Obs.
| a 1529 Skelton Replyc. 355 For to disparage And to discorage The fame matryculate Of poetes laureate. 1577 B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. ii. (1586) 87 You shall sometime have one branch more gallant then his fellowes, which if you cutte not away, you discourage all the rest. 1657 in Burton's Diary (1828) II. 150 Though the face of public worship of late be discouraged. |
2. transf. To lessen or repress courage for (an action or project); to discountenance, express disapproval of, ‘throw cold water on’.
| 1641 Wilkins Math. Magick ii. xv. (1648) 292, I would be loath to discourage the enquiry of any ingenuous artificer. a 1649 Eikon Bas. xii. (1824) 106, I might neither Incourage the rebels insolence, nor discourage the Protestants loyalty and patience. 1699 W. Dampier Voy. II. i. 85 Thro their oppression..trading is discouraged. 1735 Berkeley Querist §42 Idleness should of all things be discouraged. 1809 Syd. Smith Wks. (1867) I. 173 A set of lectures upon political economy would be discouraged in Oxford. 1872 Yeats Growth Comm. 56 Laws were made to discourage usury. |
† 3. intr. (for refl.) To lose courage or confidence. Obs.
| 1553 Bale Vocacyon in Harl. Misc. (1808–12) VI. 464 (D.) Because that poore Churche shulde not utterly discourage, in her extreme adversitees. 1574 Hellowes Gueuara's Fam. Ep. (1577) 33 Scipio considering the Numantines to increase in pride, and the Romanes to discourage. |