Langimage
English

discouragingly

|dis/cour/ag/ing/ly|

C1

🇺🇸

/dɪsˈkɜːrɪdʒɪŋli/

🇬🇧

/dɪsˈkʌrɪdʒɪŋli/

(discourage)

loss of courage

Base Form3rd Person Sing.PastPast ParticiplePresent ParticipleNounAdjectiveAdjectiveAdverb
discouragediscouragesdiscourageddiscourageddiscouragingdiscouragementdiscouragingdiscourageddiscouragingly
Etymology
Etymology Information

'discourage' originates from Old French, specifically the word 'descouragier,' where 'des-' meant 'away' and 'corage' meant 'courage.'

Historical Evolution

'descouragier' transformed into the Middle English word 'discouragen,' and eventually became the modern English word 'discourage.'

Meaning Changes

Initially, it meant 'to take away courage,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'to cause someone to lose confidence or enthusiasm.'

Meanings by Part of Speech

Adverb 1

in a manner that causes someone to lose confidence or enthusiasm.

She looked at him discouragingly when he suggested the idea.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Last updated: 2025/01/17 10:09