Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Discourage

Discourage (?; 48) , transitive verb

[Prefix dis- + courage: compare Old French descoragier, French décourager: pref. des- (Latin dis-) + corage, French courage. See Courage.]

1.
To extinguish the courage of; to dishearten; to depress the spirits of; to deprive of confidence; to deject; -- the opposite of encourage; as, he was discouraged in his undertaking; he need not be discouraged from a like attempt.
Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. — Col. iii. 21
2.
To dishearten one with respect to; to discountenance; to seek to check by disfavoring; to deter one from; as, they discouraged his efforts.

Discourage , noun

Lack of courage; cowardliness.