encourage

verb en·cour·age \in-ˈkər-ij, -ˈkə-rij, en-\

: to make (someone) more determined, hopeful, or confident

: to make (something) more appealing or more likely to happen

: to make (someone) more likely to do something : to tell or advise (someone) to do something

en·cour·ageden·cour·ag·ing

Full Definition of ENCOURAGE

transitive verb

a : to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope : hearten <she was encouraged to continue by her early success>

b : to attempt to persuade : urge <they encouraged him to go back to school>

: to spur on : stimulate <warm weather encourages plant growth>

: to give help or patronage to : foster <government grants designed to encourage conservation>

— en·cour·ag·er noun

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Origin of ENCOURAGE

Middle English encoragen, from Anglo-French encorager, from en- + curage courage

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to ENCOURAGE

Synonyms: bear up, buck up, buoy (up), cheer (up), chirk (up), embolden, hearten, inspire, inspirit, steel

Antonyms: daunt, discourage, dishearten, dispirit

Synonym Discussion of ENCOURAGE

encourage, inspirit, hearten, embolden mean to fill with courage or strength of purpose. encourage suggests the raising of one's confidence especially by an external agency <the teacher's praise encouraged the students to greater efforts>. inspirit, somewhat literary, implies instilling life, energy, courage, or vigor into something <patriots inspirited the people to resist>. hearten implies the lifting of dispiritedness or despondency by an infusion of fresh courage or zeal <a hospital patient heartened by good news>. embolden implies the giving of courage sufficient to overcome timidity or reluctance <emboldened by her first success, she tried an even more difficult climb>.