DEMORALIZE

v. 1 dispirit, daunt, dishearten, discourage, defeat; weaken, cripple, enervate, devitalize, depress, subdue, crush The party's crushing defeat in the election thoroughly demoralized its supporters 2 corrupt, pervert, deprave, vitiate, debase, debauch The committee consider him a demoralizing influence and insist he should resign 3 bewilder, discomfit, unnerve, shake (up), confuse, fluster, disconcert, unnerve, perturb, disturb, upset, Colloq rattle The demonstrators were completely demoralized when arrested for loitering