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Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
demoralize
verb
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ Gibson's home run demoralized the Astros.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ A clear understanding of this dilemma does not demoralize the masses.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Demoralize

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.

The demoralizing example of profligate power and prosperous crime.
--Walsh.

The vices of the nobility had demoralized the army.
--Bancroft.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
demoralize

c.1793, "to corrupt the morals of," from French démoraliser, from de- "remove" (see de-) + moral (adj.) (see moral). Said to be a coinage of the French Revolution. Sense of "lower the morale of" (especially of armies) is first recorded 1848. Related: Demoralized; demoralizing.

Wiktionary
demoralize

vb. (context American spelling English) To destroy morale; to dishearten.

WordNet
demoralize
  1. v. 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"

Usage examples of "demoralize".

It would be the French campaign of 1940 all over again: then German tanks had plunged through the Ardennes and all the way to the English Channel, splintering the British-French coalition, demoralizing the French Army and driving the British off the Continent.

With luck you might capture the hive, but mostly, spent and demoralized, the bees dispersed in the woods to die.

Whiggery, to stultify Chartism, and that demoralizing lie, the ballot.

The discussion was not long, and it was brought to a cheerful, demoralized end by the approach of the trolley, into which, regardless of right or wrong, we climbed with alacrity, not to alight till not only Elmira was left behind, but more weary suburbs, too, on the other side.

With his approval a Bill had come before the legislature of the State of New York providing for the abolition of all experiments upon living animals--whether in medical colleges or elsewhere--on the ground that they were without benefit to anybody, and demoralizing alike to the teacher and student.

But the remnant of the Fenian army which was bivouacked in the ruins of old Fort Erie was too much demoralized to take any further interest in the campaign, and signalled back the information that the reinforcements were too late--that they intended to evacuate the country, and needed speedy relief.

American actress by the name of Mildred Gillars who tried to demoralize American troops from Berlin by chipperly informing them that their wives and girlfriends were cheating on them.

Some suspected it was a plot of the Spaniards, infiltrating Haarlem and demoralizing the town before an attack.

The editor, though, would have to start again as a legman, and that would completely demoralize him.

The organ of alimentiveness, located directly in front of the ear, indicates the functional conditions of the stomach, which, when aroused by excessive hunger, exerts a debasing influence upon this and all of the adjacent organs, and is demoralizing to both body and mind.

And he made a lanky skeleton, which is, of course, one of the most demoralizing types of skeletons to encounter.

For a day--for two days--the bachelors were demoralized at the fall of their leader, and the Knights of the Rose were proportionately uplifted.

So it was that, when the heavily-armed and mounted element of bushwhackers struck the head of the column, they found not a shattered, disorganized and demoralized party to slaughter and plunder at leisure, but rather a rock-hard line of disciplined troops.

This is what we should remember: Whenever Democrats dabble in military affairs, America suffers relentless defeats, entire continents fall to Communism, America loses wars, invasions fail, Americans are taken hostage, American soldiers are dragged through the streets, and the nation is demoralized and humiliated.

The sight gave new heart to the rebels, and they roared their triumph as they surged forward behind Young Jack, driving the demoralized defenders back and back.