moralemo‧rale /məˈrɑːl $ məˈræl/ ●○○ noun [uncountable] 
A win is always good for morale.low/high morale low staff morale The failed coup caused a loss of morale within the army.boost/raise/improve/build morale There is a need to raise morale in the teaching profession. the prince’s morale-boosting (=intended to raise morale) mission to the war-torn countrymaintain/keep up/restore morale The media feels pressure to keep the morale of the country up in war time.COLLOCATIONSverbsraise/improve morale· The special meetings were intended to raise morale.boost/bolster morale (=improve morale)· The wins have boosted team morale.keep up/maintain morale (=keep morale high)· It was becoming difficult to keep up the morale of the troops.affect morale (=have an effect on morale, usually to make it worse)· The uncertainty has badly affected morale.lower/damage morale· We need to avoid damaging people's morale.sap morale (=to gradually lower morale)· Knowing it was all pointless sapped my morale.destroy morale· The possibility of big job cuts was destroying morale.restore morale (=make people confident and positive again)· The new manager realized that his first job would be to restore morale.be good/bad for morale· Well-deserved praise is always good for morale.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + moralehigh/good· Morale among the staff was high.low/poor· The pay levels have resulted in low morale within the company.shaky (=morale that could easily become low)· The team's morale is shaky after their series of losses.sagging morale (=when people are getting less confident and positive)· He did his best to boost the sagging morale of the civil service.staff/team morale· Positive feedback is good for staff morale.morale + NOUNa morale booster/boost (=something that improves morale)· A letter from home was always a morale booster.morale problems (=when the morale of a group is low)· A lack of information can cause morale problems.phrasesa lack/loss of morale· Rising sickness levels among your employees may show a loss of morale.
WORD ORIGINmorale
Origin:
1700-1800 French moral, from Latin moralis; ➔ MORAL1EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Morale among the soldiers has been low.
- Morale in the sales division is high.
- Employees have complained about low morale.
- They sang songs to keep up their morale until the rescuers arrived.
- An inadequate person in a job can lead to a sharp fall in morale or sales.
- In my opinion, the relative rigidity and compartmentalization of the program made for lowered technical efficiency and morale.
- No other key to good morale was as important.
- Prior appears dedicated to boosting morale.
- Trying to raise efficiency and morale without first setting this structure to rights is like trying to lay bricks without mortar.
- White House morale was very low.
THESAURUS
the feeling that you have the ability to do things well, and to not make mistakes or be nervous in new situations: · You need patience and confidence to be a good teacher.have the confidence to do something: · ‘We have the confidence to beat Brazil,’ said Sampson.· After the accident it took a long time before she had the confidence to get back in a car again.full of confidence (=very confident): · I went into the test full of confidence, but it was more difficult than I had imagined.
a strong belief that you can do things well and that other people will like you, which means you behave confidently in most situations: · He’s new in the job but he has plenty of self-confidence.· Studies show that girls tend to lose some of their self-confidence in their teenage years.· Students who get some kind of work experience develop greater self-confidence and better communication skills.
the level of confidence, satisfaction, and hope that people feel, especially a group of people who work together: low/high morale: · Morale among the soldiers has been low.keep up morale (=keep it at a high level): · They sang songs to keep up their morale until the rescuers arrived.
a feeling of calm confidence in your own abilities, especially because you have a lot of experience: · She envied the older woman’s assurance.· Danby spoke to the committee with the self-assurance of an expert.
the feeling that you are someone who deserves to be liked and respected: · Getting a job did a lot for her self-esteem.· Sports should build a child’s self-esteem, not damage it.
Longman Language Activatora confident feeling the feeling that you have the ability to do things well, and to not make mistakes or be nervous in new situations: · You need patience and confidence to be a good teacher.have the confidence to do something: · "We have the confidence to beat Brazil," said Sampson.· After the accident it took a long time before she had the confidence to get back in a car again.full of confidence (=very confident): · I went into the test full of confidence, but it was more difficult than I had imagined.
a strong belief that you can do things well and that other people will like you, which means you behave confidently in most situations: · He's new in the job but he has plenty of self-confidence.· Studies show that girls tend to lose some of their self-confidence in their teenage years.· Students who get some kind of work experience develop greater self-confidence and better communication skills.
the level of confidence, satisfaction, and hope that people feel, especially a group of people who work together: low/high morale: · Morale among the soldiers has been low.keep up morale (=keep it at a high level): · They sang songs to keep up their morale until the rescuers arrived.
a feeling of calm confidence in your own abilities, especially because you have a lot of experience: · She envied the older woman's assurance.· Danby spoke to the committee with the self-assurance of an expert.
confidence in your own abilities, value, and judgment, which makes it likely that you will be successful at something: · You must have belief in yourself if you want to make it as an actor.· To acquire that level of skill requires years of training and an unfailing belief in yourself.
the feeling that you are someone who deserves to be liked and respected: · Getting a job did a lot for her self-esteem.· Sports should build a child's self-esteem, not damage it.
to make someone feel more confident · Teaching abroad was good for me. It gave me a lot of confidence.· 'The activities,' said Harris, 'are designed to give children confidence in their reading abilities.'give somebody the confidence to do something · The country needs the backing of the international community to give it the confidence to rebuild its war-battered economy.
an event or action that boosts someone's confidence quickly makes them feel more confident: · Winning this game will really boost the team's confidence.· To boost my confidence I went for a haircut and bought some new clothes.
to gradually make someone feel more confident: · The games are designed to make maths fun and build up youngsters' confidence.· Build confidence by assigning tasks which draw on an employee's areas of strength.
to raise the level of confidence and satisfaction among a group of people: · A pay raise would boost employee morale a great deal.· Visits by celebrities and politicians were meant to boost morale among the troops.
to make someone feel more confident about themselves, for example by saying good things about their appearance, character, or work: · It was nice to have my work praised for once -- it really boosted my ego.· The fact that Jane was attracted to him boosted his ego quite a bit.
to make someone feel happier or more confident: · Nothing could have given the team a bigger boost than the victory over Canada.· When I was feeling down, talking to Marion always gave me a lift.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYverbs The win boosted the team’s confidence. The poll provided a morale boost for the Conservatives. Mail from home is a big morale booster for faraway troops. By now the wine had lifted her flagging spirits.
· The special meetings were intended to raise morale.
(=improve morale)· The wins have boosted team morale.
(=keep morale high)· It was becoming difficult to keep up the morale of the troops.
(=have an effect on morale, usually to make it worse)· The uncertainty has badly affected morale.
· We need to avoid damaging people's morale.
(=to gradually lower morale)· Knowing it was all pointless sapped my morale.
· The possibility of big job cuts was destroying morale.
(=make people confident and positive again)· The new manager realized that his first job would be to restore morale.
· Well-deserved praise is always good for morale.
ADJECTIVES/NOUN + morale· Morale among the staff was high.
· The pay levels have resulted in low morale within the company.
(=morale that could easily become low)· The team's morale is shaky after their series of losses.
(=when people are getting less confident and positive)· He did his best to boost the sagging morale of the civil service.
· Positive feedback is good for staff morale.
morale + NOUN (=something that improves morale)· A letter from home was always a morale booster.
(=when the morale of a group is low)· A lack of information can cause morale problems.
phrases· Rising sickness levels among your employees may show a loss of morale.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES The win boosted the team’s confidence. The poll provided a morale boost for the Conservatives. Mail from home is a big morale booster for faraway troops. By now the wine had lifted her flagging spirits. (=how happy and confident the staff somewhere feel)· Staff morale has been badly affected by the reorganisation.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· Although these patients usually have astonishingly good morale and fighting spirit, everything humanely possible should be done to keep it up.· No other key to good morale was as important.· This calls for good spirits and good morale and also a certain amount of what was once called dogged determination.· That is good for morale and for the user of services.· The men in the combat columns, in fact, had developed a good morale.· A win against the reigning world champions is always good for morale, but on this occasion it would be especially welcome.· A second head placed equal stress on the importance of trust in the promotion of good morale.
· The integration of staff for training has led to a good exchange of ideas, greater enthusiasm, and higher staff morale.· Fourth, decentralized institutions generate higher morale, more commitment, and greater productivity.· Most here spoke of good spirit and high morale.· In fact, the morale of the crew was very high, if morale was the right word.· Mission-driven organizations have higher morale than rule-driven organizations.· They had at their disposal a very powerful light infan-try army with experienced officers and very high morale.
· The major difficulties are overcrowding, lack of books and materials, and low teacher morale.· On surveying the organizational ranks, they see only low morale, divisiveness, cynicism, and dulled thinking.· A more recent report from the Department of Social Security indicated low morale and a lack of confidence in the organisation.· Local Government is in a state of low morale and near collapse because of the poll tax.· Military officials had argued that to do so would weaken unit cohesion and lower morale.· It may also waste time and energy; it may be unproductive; it may lead to hostility and to low morale.· A company will be adversely affected if it suffers from low employee morale, for example.
· Mrs Thatcher's first government was plagued by leaks - a symptom of divisions and poor morale.· In addition to poor patient morale induced by the Gordon administration, the letter registered other long-standing patient complaints.· The army's sudden collapse has been attributed to poor leadership, exhaustion and poor morale.· Working conditions in the department were poor and employee morale was low.
NOUN· Voice over Seeing the parachutes back in the air has been a great morale booster for the base.· The Christmas Day morale booster was only the game show host's second trip outside hospital since his near-fatal crash.· Such fairs are a great morale booster for any nurse who feels unappreciated.· That kind of morale booster is infectious and they could well have won by a bigger margin.· He brings a joy and an ebullience to his work which is a fantastic morale booster for the cast.
· A company will be adversely affected if it suffers from low employee morale, for example.· The astounding part was what they learned about the social dynamics of the workplace and how it affected employee morale and productivity.· It's easier to dismiss reports of low employee morale than face the facts and act accordingly.· Hiring and layoffs often go on simultaneously, much to the detriment of employee morale, leadership credibility, and budget health.· Working conditions in the department were poor and employee morale was low.· As a result, plant productivity gradually began to decline, along with overall product quality and employee morale.
· Inadequate information also can lead to morale problems.· A junior who is tired of sitting on the bench is creating morale problems.· They are also facing a recruitment and morale problem.· Great Groups rarely have morale problems.· Budget shortages, poor pay and poor equipment contribute to morale problems, he said.
VERB· Competition between teams-between organizations-builds morale and encourages creativity.· This autonomy not only fosters responsive government, it builds morale and unleashes creativity.
· Rose was not told this, for fear of destroying her morale.
· These men... helped to restore the morale of our army.
· What would it do to improve morale inside the party?· After two weeks I discontinued them after determining they were not significantly improving morale.· Proper training of food handlers has a vital role in improving their morale and motivation and ensuring that standards are met.· An effort was made to improve the morale and morals of the army.· The staff meeting is the theatre for celebrating heroes, improving self-image and boosting morale.· Radically reforming conditions inside prisons, reducing overcrowding, improving prison officers' morale and punishing offenders where possible within the community.· Properly structured, hierarchy can release energy and creativity, rationalize productivity, and actually improve morale.· That, at least, improved his morale.
· And Mr Major was determined to keep up the morale.· However, I do accept that occasionally it's necessary to promote a volunteer in order to keep up morale in the ranks.· The most important thing was just physically keeping up the morale.· It wouldn't have happened if Angie hadn't been around as well, to keep his morale high and encourage him.· He keeps up their morale and always remembers to see that they are thanked properly.
· Secondly, how well those made redundant are treated is an important factor in maintaining the morale of those who stay behind.· Adequate organization performance is possible through balancing the necessity to get out work while maintaining morale at a satisfactory level.· The real reason, we believe, was to maintain public morale and support for the war.· Employers could reduce labor costs and maintain rank-and-file morale by minimizing layoffs.
· My appetite dwindled and even my favourite food, milk chocolate, failed to raise my morale.· Trying to raise efficiency and morale without first setting this structure to rights is like trying to lay bricks without mortar.· This was not quite a true story, he admitted, just a joke to raise Secord's morale.· There is a need to continue the restoration of self-confidence in the teaching profession and to raise morale.· He decided his first task was to try to raise the battered morale of his troops.· Sensible and justifiable decisions, properly communicated would raise morale rather than diminish it.· The spectre of redundancy has been raised, and morale from top to bottom has become a cause for deep concern.· About this time, too, will have taken place an incident, said to have done much to raise morale.
· These men... helped to restore the morale of our army.
· Recent national reforms had undermined teachers' morale, he said.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
the level of confidence and positive feelings that people have, especially people who work together, who belong to the same team etc: - Crusty Bill boasts he's on a spicy vegetarian diet to keep his strength up for love.
- During the war years, it helped keep our spirits up and we need it again now.
- He had a strong sense of humour, and kept his spirits up.
- I had to keep my strength up.
- I told Tansy that she must keep her spirits up, that Rose might be needing her.
- She ate a little to keep her strength up.
A win is always good for morale.low/high morale low staff morale The failed coup caused a loss of morale within the army.boost/raise/improve/build morale There is a need to raise morale in the teaching profession. the prince’s morale-boosting (=intended to raise morale) mission to the war-torn countrymaintain/keep up/restore morale The media feels pressure to keep the morale of the country up in war time.COLLOCATIONSverbsraise/improve morale· The special meetings were intended to raise morale.boost/bolster morale (=improve morale)· The wins have boosted team morale.keep up/maintain morale (=keep morale high)· It was becoming difficult to keep up the morale of the troops.affect morale (=have an effect on morale, usually to make it worse)· The uncertainty has badly affected morale.lower/damage morale· We need to avoid damaging people's morale.sap morale (=to gradually lower morale)· Knowing it was all pointless sapped my morale.destroy morale· The possibility of big job cuts was destroying morale.restore morale (=make people confident and positive again)· The new manager realized that his first job would be to restore morale.be good/bad for morale· Well-deserved praise is always good for morale.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + moralehigh/good· Morale among the staff was high.low/poor· The pay levels have resulted in low morale within the company.shaky (=morale that could easily become low)· The team's morale is shaky after their series of losses.sagging morale (=when people are getting less confident and positive)· He did his best to boost the sagging morale of the civil service.staff/team morale· Positive feedback is good for staff morale.morale + NOUNa morale booster/boost (=something that improves morale)· A letter from home was always a morale booster.morale problems (=when the morale of a group is low)· A lack of information can cause morale problems.phrasesa lack/loss of morale· Rising sickness levels among your employees may show a loss of morale.