DEMORALIZE

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 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)

Present simple: I / you / we / they demoralize    ... he / she / it demoralizes   
Past simple: demoralized   
Past participle: demoralized   
-ing form: demoralizing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

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

Context example:

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 (corrupt with ideas or an ideology)

lead astray; lead off (teach immoral behavior to)

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

Derivation:

demoralization (destroying the moral basis for a doctrine or policy)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Lower someone's spirits; make downhearted

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

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

Context example:

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

Derivation:

demoralization (depression resulting from an undermining of your morale)

Sense 3

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

Derivation:

demoralization (a state of disorder and confusion)

 Context examples 

I thought you'd never come! cried Amy, dropping the reins and holding out both hands, to the great scandalization of a French mamma, who hastened her daughter's steps, lest she should be demoralized by beholding the free manners of these 'mad English'.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

What with the physical shocks incidental to my first interview with Professor Challenger and the mental ones which accompanied the second, I was a somewhat demoralized journalist by the time I found myself in Enmore Park once more.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)