Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Demoralize'

English Word: Demoralize

Key Russian Translations:

• деморализовать [dʲɪmərəlʲɪˈzovatʲ] - [Formal, Verb]
• подорвать дух [pədɐrˈvatʲ dux] - [Informal, Phrase]
• лишить боевого духа [lʲiˈʂitʲ bɐˈjevəvə ˈduxa] - [Military Context]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate) for "деморализовать"; B1 (Lower Intermediate) for "подорвать дух"

Pronunciation (Russian):

деморализовать: [dʲɪmərəlʲɪˈzovatʲ]

Note on деморализовать: Stress falls on the fourth syllable. The "з" is pronounced with a voiced sound, and "о" may reduce in unstressed positions.

подорвать дух: [pədɐrˈvatʲ dux]

лишить боевого духа: [lʲiˈʂitʲ bɐˈjevəvə ˈduxa]

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To cause someone to lose confidence or hope

Translation(s) & Context:

• деморализовать - Used in formal or written contexts, often in professional or psychological discussions.
• подорвать дух - More conversational, often used to describe emotional impact in everyday situations.

Usage Examples:

• Эта неудача деморализовала всю команду.

  This failure demoralized the entire team.

• Постоянная критика может деморализовать даже самых стойких людей.

  Constant criticism can demoralize even the most resilient people.

• Его слова подорвали мой дух перед экзаменом.

  His words demoralized me before the exam.

2. To undermine morale in a military or competitive context

Translation(s) & Context:

• лишить боевого духа - Specific to military or competitive settings, emphasizing loss of fighting spirit.

Usage Examples:

• Враг пытался лишить нас боевого духа с помощью пропаганды.

  The enemy tried to demoralize us with propaganda.

• Длительная осада лишила солдат боевого духа.

  The prolonged siege demoralized the soldiers.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

деморализовать (Verb, Perfective and Imperfective Aspects):

This verb follows regular conjugation patterns for verbs ending in -овать. Below is the imperfective form (деморализовывать) conjugation in the present tense:

подорвать дух (Phrase): The verb "подорвать" is perfective, used for completed actions. It does not conjugate within the phrase but agrees with subjects in past tense (e.g., подорвал, подорвала).

лишить боевого духа (Phrase): The verb "лишить" is perfective and follows standard conjugation for reflexive verbs with -ся in imperfective form (лишать).

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms:

• обескуражить (to discourage, less formal)
• подавить (to suppress, broader usage)

Antonyms:

• вдохновить (to inspire)
• ободрить (to encourage)

Note: "обескуражить" is often used for temporary discouragement, while "деморализовать" implies a deeper impact.

Related Phrases:

• деморализовать противника - To demoralize the opponent (often in competitive or military contexts).
• подорвать моральный дух - To undermine moral spirit (used in emotional or group dynamics).

Usage Notes:

• "деморализовать" is a direct borrowing from French/English and is more formal or academic. It is less common in casual speech compared to "подорвать дух."
• "подорвать дух" is more idiomatic and widely understood in everyday Russian, suitable for informal contexts.
• "лишить боевого духа" is highly context-specific and should be reserved for military or highly competitive scenarios.
• Be mindful of aspect when using verbs like "деморализовать" (perfective) vs. "деморализовывать" (imperfective) to indicate completed vs. ongoing action.

Common Errors:

Error 1: Using "деморализовать" in casual conversation. Many English speakers overuse this formal term when "подорвать дух" would be more natural.

Incorrect: Его шутка деморализовала меня. (Too formal)

Correct: Его шутка подорвала мой дух.

Error 2: Ignoring verb aspect, e.g., using imperfective "деморализовывать" for a one-time event.

Incorrect: Эта новость деморализовывает нас. (Implies ongoing action)

Correct: Эта новость деморализовала нас. (Completed action)

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, expressions of morale and spirit (дух) are deeply tied to collective identity, especially in historical or military contexts. Phrases like "лишить боевого духа" evoke strong imagery of resilience or defeat, often connected to Russia's storied military history.

Related Concepts:

• мораль (morale)
• дух (spirit)
• уныние (despondency)