demoralize

present singular third person demoralizes · participle present demoralizing · participle past demoralized · past demoralized · alternative demoralise

1. BritishEnglishOxfordUStransitiveTo destroy the morale of; to dishearten.

   Synonyms: daunt, deter, discourage · Antonyms: encourage, hearten

2. BritishEnglishOxfordUSdatedtransitiveTo erode the moral adherence of; to corrupt.

   [I]f you convert a man brought up in another creed, you inevitably demoralize him.

   1915 December (date written), [George] Bernard Shaw, “Androcles and the Lion. Preface on the Prospects of Christianity.”, in Androcles and the Lion, Overruled, Pygmalion, London: Constable and Company, published 1916, →OCLC, page xxix

   1 more example

   The election of a man like Mr. Blaine would be such an encouragement to the base and rapacious impulses apt to govern the conduct of politicians, it would so demoralize the public mind and open the floodgates of corruption so wide, that it is no exaggeration to say the success of our free institutions is at stake.

   1913, Carl Schurz, Speeches, correspondence and political papers of Carl Schurz, volume IV, To Henry C. Bowen, August 6th, 1884, page 272

   Synonyms: immoralize, unmoralize, warp, adulterate, corrupt, debauch, detort, file