Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - discourage

 transitive verb  (-aged; -aging)  Etymology: Middle English discoragen, from Middle French descorager, from Old French descoragier, from des- dis- + corage courage  Date: 15th century  1. to deprive of courage or confidence ; dishearten was ~d by repeated failure  2.  a. to hinder by disfavoring trying to ~ absenteeism  b. to dissuade or attempt to dissuade from doing something tried to ~ her from going  • ~able adjective  • ~r noun  • discouragingly adverb