Key Difference: Demoralizing and demotivating are both adjectives. Demoralizing is related to destruction of confidence and strength, whereas demotivating is related to destruction of eagerness and enthusiasm to do a certain task. In many ways, they relate to each other.

Demotivating and demoralizing are two words that often create confusion and at many times people use them interchangeably. However, they both are different to each other.

Demoralizing is an adjective that is used in connotation to demoralize meaning 'destructive of morale and self–reliance,' whereas demotivating is an adjective that is used to describe 'making someone lose their enthusiasm and interest'. Many times they are also used together as a phrase ‘demoralizing and demotivating’.

Demoralizing is related to loss or destruction of confidence, discipline and courage. Demoralization may occur due to several reasons. For example, Matt was very enthusiastic of working in a new project but the manager mocked him, and told him that he was not at all suitable for this critical project. This was quite demoralizing for Matt and he lost his spirits. Thus, we can say that a demoralizing act always shatters one’s confidence and also makes a person feel miserable about himself. 

Demotivating describes something that demotivates the person. It is just reverse of motivation. Motivation is related to the inspiration that increases the eagerness or willingness to do a work. Thus, demotivating as a term is used in connotation to  any thing that decreases the eagerness or willingness to do a work. Demotivating always tends to stop a person in continuing a thing or an activity and if he was planning to start something new, then demotivation also stops him for starting that new activity.

Refer to the same example as considered for the word demoralization. Matt was demoralized, now at the same time he was working on some other project. Now he does not feel like working on that project, he just wants to leave the project in the middle. In this context, his boss opinion was also demotivating apart from being demoralizing.

Generally, both the words are used together as most of the acts that are demoralizing also tend to be demotivating and same as vice versa. Some of the examples are listed below:-

1. He started demotivating his workers. (This may effect the work, as workers would no longer feel like working.)
2. His company is changing all demotivating policies. (Referring to policies due to which motivation of the employees got destructed.)
3. The defeat was demoralizing for them.
4. His unemployment is the biggest demoralizing factor for him.
5. He was fed up by his dad’s demotivating and demoralizing comments.

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