Cool MateDiscourage vs You should not encourage him
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Discourage
Top 2,000 (common)B2verb
You should not encourage him
Top 5,000 (fairly common)
Most common: Discourage
| Discourage | You should not encourage him | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/dɪsˈkʌrɪdʒ/","/dɪsˈkʌrɪdʒɪz/","/dɪsˈkʌrɪdʒd/","/dɪsˈkʌrɪdʒɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/dɪsˈkɜːrɪdʒ/","/dɪsˈkɜːrɪdʒɪz/","/dɪsˈkɜːrɪdʒd/","/dɪsˈkɜːrɪdʒɪŋ/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //jʊ ʃəd nɒt ɪnˈkʌrɪdʒ hɪm//🇺🇸 //ju ʃəd nɑt ɪnˈkɜrɪdʒ hɪm// |
| Meaning | to make someone feel less confident or hopeful | Don't help or support him. |
| Example | The teacher did not want to discourage the students from trying challenging problems. | You should not encourage him to skip school again. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 5,000 (fairly 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 | encourage participation, encourage success, encourage change, encourage behavior, encourage creativity |
| 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 'encourage to' vs 'encourage him', Using 'not' in the wrong position (e.g., 'You encourage him not'), Forgetting the subject when restructuring the sentence |
| 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. | Use this phrase to advise against promoting someone's behavior. It's appropriate in discussions about personal growth or negative influences. |
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Frequently asked questions: Discourage vs You should not encourage him
What's the difference between Discourage and You should not encourage him?
Discourage: to make someone feel less confident or hopeful You should not encourage him: Don't help or support him.
Which is more common: Discourage and You should not encourage him?
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. You should not encourage him: You should not encourage him to skip school again.
Can I use Discourage and You should not encourage him interchangeably?
Not always. Discourage and You should not encourage him 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.