Discourage from

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "Discourage from" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to indicate that someone is being advised against doing something or is being dissuaded from a particular action. Example: "Parents often try to discourage their children from engaging in risky behaviors."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

12 human-written examples

As Thom points out, a fifth of the population identifies itself as disabled – and that, she argues, is a lot of people to block or discourage from coming to the theatre.

The Guardian

Parr and Meadows's detached, formalist approach is often undercut by the smiling faces of the subjects, a reflexive response to the camera that Parr would discourage from this moment on.

The Guardian - Arts

Linux is perfect, on the other hand, for call centres, cash tellers, customer-support departments and other types of work that require employees to use only the same one or two computer functions (and whom their employers might actually want to discourage from goofing off with other applications while on the job).

The Economist

2. Surround yourself with people who inspire you rather than those who discourage from chasing your dreams.

Forbes

Although our results discourage from using the popular extrapolations, one may combine the more accurate adjusted estimate of life expectancy e a with the extrapolation model by constraining the parameters of the latter to fit the life expectancy estimate (Ediev 2017).

Genus

They discourage from optimizing the choice of the classification algorithm based on the obtained results.

BMC Medical Research Methodology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

48 human-written examples

Patients have been discouraged from attending.

The Guardian

They are discouraged from taking any leave.

The New York Times

Guests are discouraged from bringing children.

The New York Times - Travel

Women were strongly discouraged from entering.

The Guardian - Books

But small children are discouraged from attending.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "discourage from", ensure the context clearly identifies both the person being discouraged and the action they are being discouraged from performing. Clarity prevents ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "discourage from" when the intention is to completely forbid or prevent an action. "Discourage" implies influence, not absolute prevention. Instead, use "prohibit" or "prevent" for stronger actions.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "discourage from" functions as a verb phrase indicating the act of advising or dissuading someone against a particular action. Ludwig examples show it used in contexts where influence, rather than outright prevention, is the goal, aligning with Ludwig AI analysis.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

40%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "discourage from" is a grammatically sound phrase used to advise against or dissuade someone from a particular action. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and common usage across various contexts, particularly in News & Media and Science. While not as forceful as "prevent", it implies an attempt to influence behavior by highlighting potential negative outcomes. Alternatives like "dissuade from" or "deter from" offer subtle variations in meaning and formality. When using "discourage from", ensure clarity by specifying both the individual and the action, and avoid it in scenarios requiring outright prevention.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

dissuade from

Implies persuasion to change someone's mind, making it slightly more active.

deter from

Focuses on instilling fear or doubt to prevent action, indicating stronger opposition.

inhibit from

Suggests a restraining or hindering effect, often in a more formal context.

prevent from

Indicates stopping someone from doing something, implying a more direct action.

restrain from

Implies holding someone back or controlling their actions, suggesting a physical or moral boundary.

advise against

Directly recommends not doing something, lacking the preventative aspect.

caution against

Emphasizes potential dangers or negative consequences, making it a warning.

warn against

Highlights risks involved, thus strongly suggesting avoidance.

talk out of

Informal way to describe persuading someone not to do something.

dissapprove of

Expresses disagreement or dislike, but does not necessarily prevent action.

FAQs

How do I use "discourage from" in a sentence?

Use "discourage from" to advise against an action. For example, "The coach tried to discourage the players from arguing with the referee."

What's a formal alternative to "discourage from"?

A more formal alternative to "discourage from" is "dissuade from". For instance, "The counselor sought to dissuade the student from dropping out."

How does "discourage from" differ from "prevent from"?

"Discourage from" implies advising against something, while "prevent from" means stopping it altogether. For example, "We discourage children from running in the halls," versus "We prevent children from entering the laboratory."

Is it grammatically correct to say "discourage from doing something"?

Yes, it is grammatically correct. The structure "discourage someone from doing something" is standard English. For example, "The doctor discouraged him from smoking."