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encourage desperation

[en-KER-ij des-PER-uh-shun]
verb phrase
encorajar o desespero / incitar o desespero
1. To promote, inspire, or foster a state of desperation in someone; to create conditions that drive someone to desperate measures
Poor economic policies encourage desperation among unemployed workers.
Políticas econômicas ruins encorajam o desespero entre os trabalhadores desempregados.
2. To intentionally or unintentionally motivate someone to act recklessly due to hopelessness
Cutting social safety nets encourages desperation in vulnerable populations.
Cortar redes de proteção social incita o desespero nas populações vulneráveis.
NYC Slang
push someone to the wall / back someone into a corner
Synonyms
fuel desperationprovoke desperationfoster hopelessnessdrive to despairincite recklessness
Antonyms
instill hopeprovide reassuranceoffer comfortencourage optimismalleviate desperation

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
encorajar o desespero
Most commonly used in formal and informal contexts
São Paulo
incitar o desespero
More formal, often used in legal or political discourse
Rio de Janeiro
estimular a desesperação
Casual variant in everyday speech
Portugal
encorajar o desespero / fomentar a desesperação
Both forms accepted; 'fomentar' more formal in European Portuguese

Related Idioms & Phrases

drive someone up the wall
back someone into a corner
push someone to the edge
leave someone without a leg to stand on
cornered and desperate
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