- 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"

- try to prevent

- show opposition to
"We should discourage this practice among our youth"

- deprive of courage or hope

- take away hope from

- cause to feel discouraged

1. To extinguish the courage of; to dishearten; to depress the spirits of; to deprive of confidence; to deject; -- the opposite of encourage; as, he was discouraged in his undertaking; he need not be discouraged from a like attempt.

"Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged." -- Col. iii. 21.

2. To dishearten one with respect to; to discountenance; to seek to check by disfavoring; to deter one from; as, they discouraged his efforts.

Syn. -- To dishearten; dispirit; depress; deject; dissuade; disfavor.

1. Lack of courage; cowardliness.