dampener for morale
- noun
- /ˈdæmpənər fɔr məˈræl/
:
desalentador de la moral
- Budget cuts have acted as a dampener for morale throughout the department.
Examples
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Constant criticism can become a dampener for morale in any workplace.
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The sudden resignation of the team leader was a real dampener for morale.
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This news is such a dampener for morale!
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The sudden loss was a serious dampener for morale.
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Budget cuts have acted as a dampener for morale throughout the department.
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Constant criticism can become a dampener for morale in any workplace.
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The sudden resignation of the team leader was a real dampener for morale.
Synonyms
15
6.3
Something that makes people less excited about an event or plan
1
4.6
Something that makes people feel less excited
1
7.1
Something that makes an event less enjoyable or exciting
Someone who makes other people feel less confident
A person or thing that makes a situation less exciting
Antonyms
How Demoralizing
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'something that reduces the enthusiasm, spirit, or confidence of a group or person' is directly and transparently composed from 'dampener' (an influence that lowers excitement) + the preposition 'for' (marking the target) + 'morale' (confidence/enthusiasm). This is a predictable noun phrase construction found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Dampener for morale comes from the image of a dampener as something that makes a fire or mood wet so it dies down, like throwing water on a fire. So it means 'something that reduces the group's enthusiasm or spirit'.