- deprived of or lacking in courage, hope, or confidence:The discouraged writer discarded the poem, but it was retrieved by a young soldier who sent it off for publication.Another discouraged mother reported that she had no friends with whom to share childcare duties.
- dissuaded or obstructed from doing something: A third of the discouraged firms would probably have qualified for loans had they applied.A discouraged worker is one who wants to work but is not looking for a job because of a perceived lack of demand.
- disapproved of:Climbing on the safety railing is a strongly discouraged activity.We consider payday lenders to be a discouraged industry.
- the simple past tense and past participle of discourage.
