different between distress vs discourage

English

Etymology

The verb is from Middle English distressen, from Old French destrecier (“to restrain, constrain, put in straits, afflict, distress”); compare French détresse. Ultimately from Medieval Latin as if *districtiare, an assumed frequentative form of Latin distringere (“to pull asunder, stretch out”), from dis- (“apart”) + stringere (“to draw tight, strain”).

The noun is from Middle English distresse, from Old French destrece, ultimately also from Latin distringere.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d??st??s/
• Rhymes: -?s

Noun

distress (countable and uncountable, plural distresses)

1. (Cause of) discomfort.
   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:distress.
2. Serious danger.
   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:distress.
3. (medicine) An aversive state of stress to which a person cannot fully adapt.
4. (law) A seizing of property without legal process to force payment of a debt.
5. (law) The thing taken by distraining; that which is seized to procure satisfaction.

   • If he were not paid, he would straight go and take a distress of goods and cattle.

   • The distress thus taken must be proportioned to the thing distrained for.

Derived terms

• distress signal

Antonyms

• (maladaptive stress): eustress

Related terms

• distrain
• district

Translations

Verb

distress (third-person singular simple present distresses, present participle distressing, simple past and past participle distressed)

1. To cause strain or anxiety to someone.

   Synonyms: anguish, harrow, trouble, vex, torment, tantalize, tantalise, martyr
2. (law) To retain someone’s property against the payment of a debt; to distrain.

   Synonym: distrain
3. To treat a new object to give it an appearance of age.

   Synonyms: age, antique, patinate

Translations

Further reading

• distress in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• distress in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• distress at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• disserts

English

Etymology

From Middle French descourager (modern French décourager), from Old French descouragier, from des- and corage. Surface analysis dis- +? courage.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /d?s?k???d??/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /d?s?k??d??/
• Hyphenation: dis?cour?age

Verb

discourage (third-person singular simple present discourages, present participle discouraging, simple past and past participle discouraged) (transitive)

1. (transitive) To extinguish the courage of; to dishearten; to depress the spirits of; to deprive of confidence; to deject.

   • Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

2. (transitive) To persuade somebody not to do (something).
   • 1854, Abraham Lincoln. Notes for a Law Lecture

     Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can.

Synonyms

• becourage
• deter
• dissuade

Antonyms

• encourage

Translations

Noun

discourage (uncountable)

1. (rare) Lack of courage

Synonyms

• (lack of courage): cowardliness

Further reading

• discourage in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.