demoralize
/dɪˈmɒrəlaɪz/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈmɔːrəlaɪz/ (ame, ipa) · /di-ˈmȯr-ə-ˌlīz ˌdē-, -ˈmär-/ (ame, mw)
demoralize — 動詞
- demoralizepresent simple I / you / we / they
- demoralizeshe / she / it
- demoralizedpast simple
- demoralizing-ing form
1. to make someone feel that they can no longer succeed or continue, by destroying
使氣餒；挫敗
讓人失去信心或希望
to make someone feel that they can no longer succeed or continue, by destroying their hope or belief in their own abilities
The team felt demoralized after losing six matches in a row.
連續輸掉六場比賽後，球隊感到很氣餒。
passive: be demoralized by repeated failure
Constant criticism from her manager demoralized Nadia so much that she started looking for a new job.
Nadia 因為主管不斷的批評而感到灰心，於是開始尋找新工作。
demoralized + [person] + so much that...
Kwame felt completely demoralized when his research paper was rejected for the third time.
Kwame 的研究論文第三次被退稿時，他感到徹底挫敗。
A lack of basic supplies like clean water and medicine demoralized the hospital staff.
缺乏乾淨用水和藥品等基本物資，讓醫院員工士氣低落。
What demoralizes young teachers most is not the low pay but the lack of support.
最讓年輕教師感到氣餒的，不是低薪，而是缺乏支持。
- discourage
softer effect — you can be discouraged and still keep trying; demoralized suggests a deeper loss of hope
- dishearten
similar emotional impact, slightly more formal
- encourage
to give hope, confidence, or support to someone
文法句型
be demoralized by [something]
demoralize + person
用法筆記
Often used in the passive (be/get demoralized). Common with cause-preposition phrases introduced by by or because of.
常見錯誤
2. to damage someone's sense of right and wrong over time, so that they begin to be
敗壞道德
使人逐漸喪失道德原則
to damage someone's sense of right and wrong over time, so that they begin to behave in an immoral or dishonest way
Critics argued that the reality show demoralized its young viewers by presenting selfish behaviour as something to admire.
評論家認為，這部實境秀把自私行為包裝成值得崇拜的樣子，敗壞了年輕觀眾的道德觀。
demoralize + person + by [behaviour]
Vikram believed that unchecked power had demoralized the once-honest city officials.
Vikram 認為不受制衡的權力已經讓曾經清廉的市府官員道德敗壞。
A society that rewards dishonesty gradually demoralizes even those who start out with strong principles.
一個獎勵不誠實的社會，會逐漸腐蝕那些原本信念堅定的人。
The novel explores how war can demoralize ordinary people and turn them into criminals.
這部小說探討戰爭如何腐化普通人，使他們淪為罪犯。
- elevate
to raise someone's moral standards or character
文法句型
demoralize + person
用法筆記
This sense is markedly formal and much rarer than sense 1. It is most often used in political, philosophical, or literary contexts rather than everyday speech.
常見錯誤
3. to disturb the normal order or smooth functioning of a system, organization, or
擾亂運作
破壞系統或組織的正常運行
to disturb the normal order or smooth functioning of a system, organization, or group of people, causing confusion or breakdown
The surprise attack at dawn demoralized the battalion, and within hours their organized defense turned into a chaotic retreat.
拂曉的突襲讓整個營士氣瓦解，幾小時內，他們有組織的防禦就變成了混亂的撤退。
demoralize + [group] → causes disorder/confusion
Three consecutive losses demoralized the team so badly that players started arguing with each other on the field.
連續三場失利嚴重打擊了球隊的士氣，球員們甚至在場上互相爭吵起來。
The sudden cancellation of the project demoralized the research team, and the entire lab fell into disarray.
專案突然取消讓研究團隊士氣崩潰，整個實驗室陷入混亂。
Layoffs demoralized the remaining employees to the point where daily operations simply stopped running smoothly.
裁員讓留下來的員工士氣低落，日常營運根本無法順利進行。
- disorganize
similar result (loss of order), but demoralize specifies the cause — loss of morale among the people involved
- dishearten
very close in the 'lose confidence' sense; use dishearten for emotional effect and demoralize when the result includes organizational breakdown
- organize
to arrange into a structured or functioning order
文法句型
demoralize + group of people
be demoralized by [event]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: sense 3 focuses on the external result (disorder, breakdown of function) rather than the internal feeling. The object is always a group of people — the disorder arises because their morale collapses. Example: demoralized troops fall into disorganized retreat (sense 3), whereas a demoralized student simply gives up studying (sense 1).