Cool MateDiscourage vs Does it depress you
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Discourage
Top 2,000 (common)B2verb
Does it depress you
Beyond 10,000 (less common)
Most common: Discourage
| Discourage | Does it depress you | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/dɪsˈkʌrɪdʒ/","/dɪsˈkʌrɪdʒɪz/","/dɪsˈkʌrɪdʒd/","/dɪsˈkʌrɪdʒɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/dɪsˈkɜːrɪdʒ/","/dɪsˈkɜːrɪdʒɪz/","/dɪsˈkɜːrɪdʒd/","/dɪsˈkɜːrɪdʒɪŋ/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //dəz ɪt dɪˈprɛs juː//🇺🇸 //dʌz ɪt dɪˈprɛs ju// |
| Meaning | to make someone feel less confident or hopeful | Does it make you sad? |
| Example | The teacher did not want to discourage the students from trying challenging problems. | Sometimes, I wonder, does it depress you to think about the future? |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Beyond 10,000 (less common) |
| CEFR level | B2 | - |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | actively, positively, strongly, try to, from, (not) easily discouraged, actively, positively, strongly, try to, from, (not) easily discouraged | does it bother you, feelings of depression, depressing news, depressing thoughts, depress as a consequence |
| Antonyms | encourage, support, motivate | - |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'discouraged' which describes a feeling., Using 'discourage' without an object, e.g., saying 'I discourage' without specifying what., Incorrectly using 'discourage' in a context where 'support' would be better. | Confused with 'depressed' as an adjective; 'depress' is a verb., Using too formal a tone in casual settings., Not matching the subject with the auxiliary verb, e.g., saying 'Does it depress I?' instead of 'Does it depress you?' |
| Usage notes | Use 'discourage' when talking about preventing someone from doing something, especially in a supportive context. Avoid using it in overly negative or harsh situations. | Commonly used to inquire about someone's feelings regarding a situation; appropriate in conversations about emotions and experiences. |
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Frequently asked questions: Discourage vs Does it depress you
What's the difference between Discourage and Does it depress you?
Discourage: to make someone feel less confident or hopeful Does it depress you: Does it make you sad?
Which is more common: Discourage and Does it depress you?
Discourage is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Discourage: The teacher did not want to discourage the students from trying challenging problems. Does it depress you: Sometimes, I wonder, does it depress you to think about the future?
Can I use Discourage and Does it depress you interchangeably?
Not always. Discourage and Does it depress you are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.