To think there is nothing wrong with the expression

[PeelThemWithTheirMetalKnives]

"she seemed a bit discouraged", which is what I said when asked about a friend. My other friends said I couldn't use discouraged like that

eh? Why? In what way are you supposed to use "discouraged"?

They seemed to think things could be discouraged from happening but you couldn't say somebody was discouraged. They were all quite definite!

Huh? But you could say someone was encouraged couldn't you?

I think what you said made sense!

No, you are definitely right!

Thanks. I started to wonder ... then I wondered how they could never have heard the expression before ... and ended up confused

Sorry I think your friend is right.

Well it would make sense if you were talking about something in particular, but very little sense if someone just asked how x was and you said 'she seemed a bit discouraged' - you can be discouraged about something in particular, but not 'in general'

Does that make sense?

I'm confused now as well.

So if your friend was talking about climbing a mountain, you could say she was discouraged, but if you are talking about her mood then you can't?

Is that right?

I think your other friends need a rethink of their use of the english language.

Your friend might have been actively discouraged to do something or else she feels undermined and unlikely to persue something as she feels no support - therefore discouraged.

I think Chipping is right - your friend could be discouraged from doing something (say) but I don't think she could be discouraged in general. I'm not 100% though - the more I think about it the more unsure I am

Oreo - yes :)

Pat - no I think it rather depends on if they were talking about a specific activity or her mood in general

You have to be discouraged about/over/due to something. You can't just be discouraged in general.

Chipping I knew what I meant in my head when I typed that out and it made perfect sense to me .... and yeah what you said is what I meant - oh deary me its time for bed I think ....ya know when you start typing your thoughts and not following them up with an explanation??! Grrrr

Yes, my friends think you can't be discouraged in general, and I think you can. I think it implies "discouraged by life or whatever".

Nice one tethersend

Found

You need Pedants' Corner for the definitive answer. They know their onions over there.

I've definitely heard it used in that context before, meaning someone was feeling a bit down, but not quite depressed. Was prob my gran, she didn't hold much store by dictionary definitions!

You can certainly be discouraged by life in general and therefore just 'be discouraged'

As an aside, discouraged is one of the words that loses all meaning when you say it enough times. Discouraged discouraged discouraged.