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discourage confidence

[dɪsˈkɜrɪdʒ ˈkɑnfɪdəns]
verb phrase
desanimar a confiança / desestimular a confiança
1. to reduce or weaken someone's belief in their own abilities or in the reliability of something
The constant criticism tends to discourage confidence in young students.
A crítica constante tende a desanimar a confiança nos alunos jovens.
2. to make someone doubt or lose faith in a particular outcome or institution
Recent scandals have discouraged confidence in the government.
Escândalos recentes desestimularam a confiança no governo.
Synonyms
undermine confidenceshake confidenceweaken faitherode trustdampen spirits
Antonyms
encourage confidencebuild trustfoster faithstrengthen beliefinspire assurance

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
desanimar a confiança
most common usage
São Paulo
desestimular a confiança
slightly more formal variant
Portugal
desencorajar a confiança
alternative translation used in European Portuguese

Related Idioms & Phrases

shake someone's faith
cast doubt on
lose nerve
lose heart
take the wind out of someone's sails
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