DEMORALIZE

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does demoralize mean? 

• DEMORALIZE (verb)
  The verb DEMORALIZE has 3 senses:

1. corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality
2. lower someone's spirits; make downhearted
3. confuse or put into disorder

  Familiarity information: DEMORALIZE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DEMORALIZE (verb)

Meaning:

Corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

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

Context examples:

debauch the young people with wine and women / Socrates was accused of corrupting young men / Do school counselors subvert young children? / corrupt the morals

Hypernyms (to "demoralize" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "demoralize"):

carnalise; carnalize; sensualise; sensualize (debase through carnal gratification)

infect (contaminate with ideas or an ideology)

lead astray; lead off (teach immoral behavior to)

whore (corrupt by lewd intercourse)

poison (spoil as if by poison)

bastardise; bastardize (change something so that its value declines; for example, art forms)

suborn (incite to commit a crime or an evil deed)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Meaning:

Lower someone's spirits; make downhearted

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

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

Context examples:

These news depressed her / The bad state of her child's health demoralizes her

Hypernyms (to "demoralize" is one way to...):

discourage (deprive of courage or hope; take away hope from; cause to feel discouraged)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "demoralize"):

chill (depress or discourage)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sentence example:

The bad news will demoralize him

Meaning:

Confuse or put into disorder

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Context example:

the boss's behavior demoralized everyone in the office

Hypernyms (to "demoralize" is one way to...):

bedevil; befuddle; confound; confuse; discombobulate; fox; fuddle; throw (be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody