Demoralize \De*mor"al*ize\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Demoralized;
p. pr. & vb. n. Demoralizing.] [F. d['e]moraliser; pref.
d['e]- (L. dis- or de) + moraliser. See Moralize.]
To corrupt or undermine in morals; to destroy or lessen the
effect of moral principles on; to render corrupt or
untrustworthy in morals, in discipline, in courage, spirit,
etc.; to weaken in spirit or efficiency.
[1913 Webster]
The demoralizing example of profligate power and
prosperous crime. --Walsh.
[1913 Webster]
The vices of the nobility had demoralized the army.
--Bancroft.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
demoralize
v 1: corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality; "debauch
the young people with wine and women"; "Socrates was
accused of corrupting young men"; "Do school counselors
subvert young children?"; "corrupt the morals" [syn: corrupt,
pervert, subvert, demoralise, debauch, debase,
profane, vitiate, deprave, misdirect]
2: lower someone's spirits; make downhearted; "These news
depressed her"; "The bad state of her child's health
demoralizes her" [syn: depress, deject, cast down, get
down, dismay, dispirit, demoralise] [ant: elate]
3: confuse or put into disorder; "the boss's behavior
demoralized everyone in the office"
WordNet (r) 2.0
75 Moby Thesaurus words for "demoralize":
agitate, bastardize, bewilder, bludgeon, bluster, bluster out of,
browbeat, brutalize, bulldoze, bully, chill, confuse, corrupt, cow,
cripple, crush, damp, dampen, dash, daunt, debase, debauch,
debilitate, defeat, defile, deject, deprave, depress, devitalize,
disarrange, discomfit, disconcert, discourage, dishearten,
disorder, disorganize, disparage, dispirit, disturb, dragoon,
enervate, fluster, harass, hector, huff, intimidate, jumble,
knock down, muddle, overcome, perturb, pervert, prostrate,
psych out, rattle, shake, shake up, snarl, soil, subdue, sully,
systematically terrorize, terrorize, threaten, unbrace, undermine,
undo, unman, unnerve, unsettle, unstring, upset, vitiate, warp,
weaken
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
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