Wordnet 3.0
ADJECTIVE (2)
1.
depriving of confidence or hope or enthusiasm and hence often deterring action;
- Example: "where never is heard a discouraging word"2.
expressing disapproval;
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Discourage \Dis*cour"age\ (?; 48), v. t. [imp. & p. p.
Discouraged; p. pr. & vb. n. Discouraging.] [Pref. dis- +
courage: cf. OF. descoragier, F. d['e]courager: pref. des-
(L. dis-) + corage, F. 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.
[1913 Webster]
Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest
they be discouraged. --Col. iii.
21.
[1913 Webster]
2. To dishearten one with respect to; to discountenance; to
seek to check by disfavoring; to deter one from; as, they
discouraged his efforts.
Syn: To dishearten; dispirit; depress; deject; dissuade;
disfavor.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Discouraging \Dis*cour"a*ging\, a.
Causing or indicating discouragement. --
Dis*cour"a*ging*ly, adv.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
discouraging
adj 1: depriving of confidence or hope or enthusiasm and hence
often deterring action; "where never is heard a
discouraging word" [ant: encouraging]
2: expressing disapproval
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
45 Moby Thesaurus words for "discouraging":
admonitory, alarming, awing, black, bleak, cautionary, chilling,
daunting, depressant, depressing, depressive, deterrent, deterring,
disconcerting, disheartening, disinclining, dismal, dismaying,
dispiriting, disquieting, dissuading, dissuasive, down, dreary,
expostulatory, fear-inspiring, fearful, fearsome, forbidding,
forestalling, frightening, frightful, hindering, intimidating,
monitory, oppressive, overawing, preclusive, preventative,
preventive, prohibitive, prophylactic, scaring, scary, startling