DEMORALIZE

demoralize

(verb) confuse or put into disorder; “the boss’s behavior demoralized everyone in the office”

depress, deject, cast down, get down, dismay, dispirit, demoralize, demoralise

(verb) lower someone’s spirits; make downhearted; “These news depressed her”; “The bad state of her child’s health demoralizes her”

corrupt, pervert, subvert, demoralize, demoralise, debauch, debase, profane, vitiate, deprave, misdirect

(verb) corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality; “debauch the young people with wine and women”; “Socrates was accused of corrupting young men”; “Do school counselors subvert young children?”; “corrupt the morals”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Verb

demoralize (third-person singular simple present demoralizes, present participle demoralizing, simple past and past participle demoralized)

(transitive, American spelling) To destroy the morale of; to dishearten.

Source: Wiktionary


De*mor"al*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Demoralized; p. pr. & vb. n. Demoralizing.] Etym: [F. démoraliser; pref. dé- (L. dis- or de) + moraliser. See Moralize.]

Definition: To corrupt or undermine in morals; to destroy or lessen the effect of moral principles on; to render corrupt or untrustworthy in morals, in discipline, in courage, spirit, etc.; to weaken in spirit or efficiency. The demoralizing example of profligate power and prosperous crime. Walsh. The vices of the nobility had demoralized the army. Bancroft.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

9 June 2025

HERMAPHRODITE

(noun) one having both male and female sexual characteristics and organs; at birth an unambiguous assignment of male or female cannot be made


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Coffee Trivia

In the 18th century, the Swedish government made coffee and its paraphernalia (including cups and dishes) illegal for its supposed ties to rebellious sentiment.

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