DEMORALISE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does demoralise mean? 

• DEMORALISE (verb)
  The verb DEMORALISE has 2 senses:

1. corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality

2. lower someone's spirits; make downhearted

  Familiarity information: DEMORALISE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DEMORALISE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they demoralise    ... he / she / it demoralises   
Past simple: demoralised   
Past participle: demoralised   
-ing form: demoralising   

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 "demoralise" is one way to...):

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

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

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:

demoralisation (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 "demoralise" 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 "demoralise"):

chill (depress or discourage)

Sentence frames:

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

Derivation:

demoralisation (depression resulting from an undermining of your morale)

 Context examples 

First mate angry; said it was folly, and to yield to such foolish ideas would demoralise the men; said he would engage to keep them out of trouble with a handspike.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Mate now more demoralised than either of men. His stronger nature seems to have worked inwardly against himself. Men are beyond fear, working stolidly and patiently, with minds made up to worst. They are Russian, he Roumanian.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)