verb
demotivate
dee-MOH-tih-vayt/ˌdiːˈməʊtɪveɪt/
To make someone less willing or enthusiastic to act.
Constant criticism can demotivate employees who are trying their best.
Etymology
Motivate means to stimulate someone toward action; de- reverses that effect. To demotivate people is therefore to weaken or remove the incentive that makes them willing to act.
In context
all you need to do is to demotivate the child away from this difficult behavior by punishing them or by excluding them or by shaming them
More examples
- Unrealistic goals often demotivate beginners.
- The lack of progress demotivated her, but she kept practicing.
- Changing the rules halfway through risks demotivating the whole team.
Forms
demotivate · demotivates · demotivated · demotivating
demotivation noun — A loss of willingness or enthusiasm to act.
Similar words
- discourage
- Can emphasize persuading someone not to take a particular action.
- demoralize
- Emphasizes damaging confidence and morale, not just reducing motivation.