demoralize
dih-MOR-uh-lyz
/dɪˈmɒr.ə.laɪz/
To cause someone to lose confidence, hope, enthusiasm, or courage; to destroy the morale of.
Targets emotional resolve, military unit cohesion, or psychological spirit, making opponents feel defeated before combat ends.
The story behind the word. Coined in French during the French Revolution, 'démoraliser' entered English around 1799. Although originally meaning to corrupt moral standards, military commanders quickly adopted it to describe deliberate psychological tactics that destroyed an army's courage.
Word relationships
- dishearten: Dishearten refers to making an individual lose hope, whereas demoralize often refers to crushing collective spirit or unit cohesion.
- discourage: Discourage is milder and means to deter someone from acting, while demoralize crushes spirit entirely.
- embolden: Embolden inspires courage and readiness to act.
- inspire: Inspire fills individuals with enthusiasm, purpose, and confidence.
Commonly confused with
- debase: Debase means to lower in quality or character, whereas demoralize means to crush confidence and hope.
Word family
- demoralization (noun): The act of destroying morale or the state of being demoralized.
- demoralizing (adjective): Causing a loss of confidence or courage.
Collocations
- demoralize the enemy
- demoralize staff
- deeply demoralize
- intended to demoralize
Example sentences
- "Continuous artillery shelling was designed not only to destroy fortifications but also to demoralize the defending troops." Military history analysis
- "Repeated budget cuts and sudden project cancellations began to demoralize the research division." Corporate workplace setting
Memory hook
DE-crease their MORALE to DEMORALIZE their spirit. Crush confidence, hope, and courage.
When not to use
Do not confuse with moral corruption in an ethical sense unless reading 18th-century classical literature; modern usage focuses exclusively on destroying confidence and morale.
Fun facts
- The distinction between 'morale' (psychological spirit) and 'morals' (ethical rules) in English stems from early French borrowings sharing identical spelling.
Related words
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