Emily Dickinson Lexicon

DIS-COUR'AGE-MENT, n. [discur'agement.]

1. The act of disheartening, or depriving of courage; the act of deterring or dissuading from an undertaking; the act of depressing confidence.
2. That which destroys or abates courage; that which depresses confidence or hope; that which deters or tends to deter from an undertaking, or from the prosecution of any thing. Evil examples are great discouragements to virtue. The revolution was commenced under every possible discouragement.