demotivator

D2E1M3O1T1I1V4A1T1O1R1

noun

One who, or that which, demotivates.

OriginEnglish demotivate ← Middle English motif ← Late Latin mōtīvum →
Scrabble 17
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Meanings

noundemotivator (plural demotivators)

plural demotivators

  1. One who, or that which, demotivates.

    [Money] becomes a demotivator when it bears no clear-cut relationship to performance on the job.

    2001, Donald L. Caruth, Gail D. Handlogten, Managing Compensation (and Understanding it Too), page 47
    1. A humorous parody of a motivational poster, bearing a negative slogan.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*de
  2. Proto-Indo-European*déh₁
  3. Proto-Italic*dē
  4. Latindē
  5. Latindē-
  6. Englishde-
  7. Anglo-Normanmotif
  8. Middle Frenchmotif
  9. Proto-Indo-European*m(y)ewh₁-
  10. Proto-Indo-European*m(y)owh₁éyeti
  11. Proto-Italic*moweō
  12. Latinmoveō
  13. Latinmōtus
  14. Late Latinmōtīvum
  15. Middle Englishmotif
  16. Englishmotive
  17. Englishmotivate
  18. Englishdemotivate
  19. Englishdemotivator

From demotivate + -or.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Polish demotywator
  • demotywatorone who, or that which, demotivates
Portuguese desmotivador
  • desmotivadorone who, or that which, demotivates
Russian демотива́тор
  • демотива́тор (demotivátor)one who, or that which, demotivates
Cite this entry
APA

demotivator. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/demotivator

MLA

“demotivator.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/demotivator. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “demotivator,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/demotivator.

Source: demotivator on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.