How to say "discourage" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 気をそぐきをそぐexpression, godan verbDampens a person's spirits, taking the wind out of their sails; think of a thoughtless remark that dulls someone's eagerness for a plan they were excited about.
- 腐らすくさらすgodan verb, transitive verbA shorter variant of 腐らせる. It makes a person lose heart — the image is of letting their spirit spoil — and suits repeated criticism that leaves someone demoralized and ready to give up.
- 腐らせるくさらせるichidan verb, transitive verbThe fuller form of 腐らす, with the same sense of making someone lose heart; it suits treatment that leaves a person disheartened, such as a superior who constantly belittles a subordinate's work.
- suru verbA direct borrowing of English 'discourage', covering both 'to discourage' and 'to be discouraged'. Understand it when you meet it, but it is marginal and seldom the word to reach for.
- godan verb, transitive verbDampens enthusiasm and dispirits people; it suits defeats or repeated setbacks that take the fight out of a team. Normally written in kana alone.
All five render the disheartening sense of 'discourage' and are less common choices: 「気をそぐ」 dampens spirits, 「腐らす」 and 「腐らせる」 demoralize, 「くじく」 dispirits, while the loanword 「ディスカレッジ」 is seldom the word you want.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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