embolden
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has emboldenedperfect 3rd person singular
-
have emboldenedperfect
-
am emboldeningprogressive 1st person singular
-
are emboldeningprogressive
-
has been emboldeningperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
have been emboldeningperfect progressive
-
is emboldeningprogressive 3rd person singular
-
emboldenssingular 3rd person
-
emboldeningparticiple
Past
-
had emboldenedperfect
-
were emboldeningprogressive plural
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emboldenedparticiple
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emboldenedsimple
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was emboldeningprogressive singular
-
had been emboldeningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of embolden
Explanation
To embolden someone is to inspire them. You might embolden your brother to try out for a play by enthusiastically praising his singing and dancing abilities. Shy kids sometimes need a friend or a teacher who will embolden them to speak up for themselves, and a good grade in a difficult class will embolden a student to attempt more challenging courses. When you cheer up a friend or encourage a coworker, you embolden those people. To embolden is "to make bold," from the Old English root word beald, which means "brave, confident, or strong."
Vocabulary lists containing embolden
A Thousand Splendid Suns
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This Week in Words: August 21 - 25, 2017
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The Last Lecture
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
