Demoralise

To someone is to undermine their confidence, spirit, or hope. It is less about physical defeat and more about winning the "inner war" by making an opponent or individual feel that their efforts are futile [1, 2]. Core Meaning

Constant negative feedback or unrealistic workloads can demoralize employees, leading to "quiet quitting" or high turnover [5].

Historically, psychological warfare focuses on demoralizing the enemy to encourage surrender without further fighting [1]. Key Characteristics demoralise

The person no longer sees a reason to keep trying.

Constant changes in rules or expectations can make a person feel they can never win. To someone is to undermine their confidence, spirit, or hope

A sports team might be demoralized if the opponent scores several goals in the first few minutes, making a comeback feel impossible [2].

Making someone feel like they are fighting alone often breaks their spirit faster than any physical challenge. Synonyms and Nuance A sports team might be demoralized if the

A milder form; you might be discouraged by a rainy day, but you are demoralized by a systemic failure.