Verb: demoralize di'mor-u,lIz or dee'mó-ru,lIz [N. Amer], di'mó-ru,lIz or dee'mó-ru,lIz [Brit]
- Lower someone's spirits; make downhearted
"The bad state of her child's health demoralizes her";
- depress, deject, cast down, get down, dismay, dispirit, demoralise [Brit]
- Corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality
"Socrates was accused of demoralizing young men";
- corrupt, pervert, subvert, demoralise [Brit], debauch, debase, profane, vitiate, deprave, misdirect
- Confuse or put into disorder
"the boss's behaviour demoralized everyone in the office";
- demoralise [Brit]
Derived forms: demoralizing, demoralizes, demoralized
Type of: alter, baffle, beat, bedevil, befuddle, bewilder, change, confound, confuse, discombobulate [informal], discourage, dumbfound, flummox, fox, frustrate, fuddle, get, gravel, modify, mystify, nonplus, perplex, pose, puzzle, stick, stupefy, throw, vex
Encyclopedia: Demoralize