demotivate

/ˌdiːˈməʊtɪveɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌdiːˈməʊtɪveɪt/ (ame, ipa)

demotivate — verb

  • demotivatepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • demotivateshe / she / it
  • demotivatedpast simple
  • demotivating-ing form

1. to cause someone to lose the energy and desire they previously had to continue w

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to cause someone to lose the energy and desire they previously had to continue working, studying, or putting effort into something — for example, a teacher who always focuses on mistakes may demotivate their students, or an unfair promotion decision may leave a worker feeling demotivated.

例句

The constant criticism from her manager began to demotivate Sofia, who had once loved her job.

demotivate + direct object (person)

Lukas felt completely demotivated after failing the exam for the third time despite studying hard.

passive: feel/get demotivated + by outcome

同義詞
  • discourage

    broader and more common; can apply to any loss of confidence, not just work/study

  • dishearten

    stronger emotional tone — suggests loss of hope rather than just enthusiasm

  • dampen someone's spirits

    idiomatic; slightly informal and milder

  • put someone off

    informal, often British; suggests the person decides not to do something at all

反義詞
  • motivate

    the direct opposite; to give someone energy and desire to act

  • inspire

    stronger positive force — filling someone with the urge to do something creative or difficult

  • encourage

    less intense than motivate; giving support or confidence to continue

文法句型

demotivate + [person]

be/get demotivated + by [situation]

用法筆記

Frequently used in the passive voice (be/get demotivated) to describe the resulting state. The pattern demotivate someone from doing something is common, as in 'The long commute demotivated her from looking for a new job.'

常見錯誤

❌The bad weather demotivated me to go out.
✅The bad weather demotivated me from going out.
💡'demotivate' takes 'from + gerund', not 'to + infinitive'.
❌I am demotivating about my job.
✅I feel demotivated about my job.
💡Use the past participle 'demotivated' as an adjective, not the present participle.