Definitions
- To make someone feel less confident or enthusiastic about doing something. - To prevent or hinder someone from doing something. - To express disapproval or negativity towards a particular action or behavior.
- To persuade someone not to do something. - To convince someone to change their mind or behavior. - To discourage someone from taking a particular action or decision.
List of Similarities
- 1Both words involve influencing someone's decision or behavior.
- 2Both words can be used to prevent someone from taking a particular action.
- 3Both words have a negative connotation and imply a lack of support or encouragement.
What is the difference?
- 1Approach: Discourage is more passive and implies a lack of support or enthusiasm, while dissuade is more active and involves persuading or convincing someone not to do something.
- 2Focus: Discourage focuses on reducing someone's confidence or enthusiasm, while dissuade focuses on changing someone's mind or behavior.
- 3Intensity: Dissuade is a stronger word than discourage and implies a more forceful attempt to change someone's mind.
- 4Usage: Discourage is more commonly used in everyday language, while dissuade is more formal and often used in professional or academic settings.
- 5Direction: Discourage can be directed towards an action or behavior, while dissuade is typically directed towards a specific decision or course of action.
Remember this!
Discourage and dissuade are synonyms that both convey a negative connotation and imply a lack of support or encouragement. However, the difference between the two lies in their approach, focus, intensity, usage, and direction. Discourage is more passive and focuses on reducing someone's confidence or enthusiasm, while dissuade is more active and involves persuading or convincing someone not to do something.