discouragement
UK[dɪsˈkʌrɪdʒmənt]US[dɪsˈkɜːrɪdʒmənt]
n
the feeling of having lost your confidence or enthusiasm for something.
n
the action of trying to make something less likely to happen or of making someone less confident or enthusiastic.
Morpheme Breakdown
dis
courage
ment
dis
apart, away
courage
bravery, spirit
ment
state or condition of
Etymology
the word "discouragement" is a layered construction that charts a journey from the physical to the emotional and finally to the abstract. its core, "courage," originates from the latin 'cor', meaning "heart," the seat of feeling and spirit in ancient thought. the prefix 'dis-' functions to reverse or negate this core state, literally meaning "to deprive of heart or spirit." the suffix '-ment' then nominalizes this action, creating a word for the resulting condition or process. thus, the modern abstract meaning—the state of being deprived of confidence or the act of causing this loss—logically evolves from the literal idea of having one's heart or spirit taken away.
Analysis
Structure: dis (apart, away) + courage (bravery, spirit) + ment (state or condition of)
dis: a latin prefix meaning "apart, away, having a negative or reversing force."
courage: from old french 'corage', meaning "heart, innermost feelings; spirit." its ultimate latin root is 'cor' (heart).
ment: a suffix of latin origin (via old french) used to form nouns indicating an action, process, or resulting state.
Examples
despite several setbacks, she refused to give in to discouragement.
the teacher's harsh criticism was a major source of discouragement for the young student.
government policies should aim at the discouragement of harmful environmental practices.