- 1[uncountable] a feeling that you no longer have the confidence or enthusiasm to do something an atmosphere of discouragement and despair
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- 2[uncountable] the action of trying to stop something the government's discouragement of political protest
- 3[countable] a thing that discourages someone from doing something Despite all these discouragements, she refused to give up. The rise in fuel prices is intended to act as a discouragement to car users from using their cars.
Check pronunciation: discouragement