demoralize
/dɪˈmɔrəˌlaɪz/verb
To undermine confidence, courage, or moral strength
From Latin, through French de- (Down) + French morale (Morality or good conduct).
Lineage
de-
morale
The story
In 1793, amid the upheaval of the French Revolution, French speakers coined démoraliser: literally, to remove someone’s moral strength. At first the word meant corrupting someone’s conduct; by 1842, it had taken on the more familiar sense of sapping courage, especially among soldiers. The morale in the word once meant morality or good conduct, before French usage also made it mean a group’s spirits and confidence. So when a team is demoralized, the word carries a small historical twist: its “morals” have not necessarily worsened, but its fighting spirit has.
Modern usage
To drain hope or confidence from someone or a group.
- Heard in
- sports · military
Words from the same roots
Sources
- Etymonlinedemoralize, de-, morale, chill, depress, deject, dismay
- Urban Dictionarydemoralize
- Wiktionarydemoralize, de-, morale