demoralize

(dē môrə līz′, di-)

transitive verb demoralized, demoralizing

  1. Now Rare to corrupt the morals of; deprave
  2. to lower the morale of; weaken the spirit, courage, discipline, or staying power of
  3. to throw into confusion

Origin: coined (1793) by Noah Webster < de- + moral + -ize

Related Forms:

See demoralize in American Heritage Dictionary 4

transitive verb de·mor·al·ized, de·mor·al·iz·ing, de·mor·al·iz·es
  1. To undermine the confidence or morale of; dishearten: an inconsistent policy that demoralized the staff.
  2. To put into disorder; confuse.
  3. To debase the morals of; corrupt.

Related Forms:

  • de·morˌal·i·zaˈtion (-ə-lĭ-zāˈshən) noun
  • de·morˈal·izˌer noun

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