Dictionary

demoralize en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /dɪˈmɒɹəlaɪz/ (UK)

Etymology

From French démoraliser.

Meanings

1. (British, English, Oxford, US, transitive) To destroy the morale of; to dishearten.
2. (British, English, Oxford, US, dated, transitive) To erode the moral adherence of; to corrupt.
   • [I]f you convert a man brought up in another creed, you inevitably demoralize him. 1915 December (date written), [George] Bernard Shaw, “Androcles and the Lion. Preface on the Prospects of Christianity.”, in Androcles and the Lion, Overruled, Pygmalion, London: Constable and Company, published 1916, →OCLC, page xxix:
   • The election of a man like Mr. Blaine would be such an encouragement to the base and rapacious impulses apt to govern the conduct of politicians, it would so demoralize the public mind and open the floodgates of corruption so wide, that it is no exaggeration to say the success of our free institutions is at stake. 1913, Carl Schurz, Speeches, correspondence and political papers of Carl Schurz, volume IV, To Henry C. Bowen, August 6th, 1884, page 272:

Forms

Antonyms

hearten · encourage

Deriveds

demoralization · demoralizer

Synonyms

subvert · debauch · warp · vitiate · suborn · corrupt · detort · unmoralize · demoralize · pervert · file · discourage · seduce · sophisticate · preposterate · pollute · adulterate · unmoralize · immoralize · lead astray · deter · warp · tamper · daunt · immoralize

Translations (20)

pl zdemoralizować (to destroy morale; to dishearten) · mi whakakiwakiwa (to destroy morale; to dishearten) · cs demoralizovat (to destroy morale; to dishearten) · el αποκαρδιώνω (to destroy morale; to dishearten) · uk деморалізовувати (to destroy morale; to dishearten) · uk деморалізувати (to destroy morale; to dishearten) · ca desmoralitzar (to destroy morale; to dishearten) · it demoralizzare (to destroy morale; to dishearten) · de demoralisieren (to destroy morale; to dishearten) · lb demoraliséieren (to destroy morale; to dishearten) · pl demoralizować (to destroy morale; to dishearten) · ru деморализовать (to destroy morale; to dishearten) · sv demoralisera (to destroy morale; to dishearten) · eo demoralizi (to destroy morale; to dishearten) · es desmoralizar (to destroy morale; to dishearten) · tr demoralize etmek (to destroy morale; to dishearten) · tr moralini bozmak (to destroy morale; to dishearten) · fr démoraliser (to destroy morale; to dishearten) · es comer la moral (to destroy morale; to dishearten) · da demoralisere (to destroy morale; to dishearten)