To discourage people from doing something is to convince them not to act; in this case, from is the usual preposition. If people lack confidence or enthusiasm, they are discouraged about, at, by or over their situation. These four prepositions are used interchangeably.
- You cannot discourage me from camping at Tofino this weekend, no matter how much you try!
- Ahmed was discouraged at the result of his day’s fishing.
- Parents are often more discouraged by poor test scores than the students themselves.
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