bolster
Americannoun
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bolsters
plural
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a long, often cylindrical, cushion or pillow for a bed, sofa, etc.
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anything resembling this in form or in use as a support.
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any pillow, cushion, or pad.
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Nautical.
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Also called bolster plate. a circular casting on the side of a vessel, through which an anchor chain passes.
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a timber used as a temporary support.
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a beam for holding lines or rigging without chafing.
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a bag filled with buoyant material, fitted into a small boat.
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Metalworking. an anvillike support for the lower die of a drop forge.
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Masonry.
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a timber or the like connecting two ribs of a centering.
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a chisel with a blade splayed toward the edge, used for cutting bricks.
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Carpentry. a horizontal timber on a post for lessening the free span of a beam.
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a structural member on which one end of a bridge truss rests.
verb (used with object)
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bolsters,
present (3rd person singular)
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bolstered,
past participle, past
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bolstering
present participle
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to support with or as with a pillow or cushion.
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to add to, support, strengthen, or uphold (sometimes followed byup ).
They bolstered their morale by singing.
He bolstered up his claim with new evidence.
- Synonyms:
- fortify, reinforce, aid, sustain, strengthen
verb
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(often foll by up) to support or reinforce; strengthen
to bolster morale
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to prop up with a pillow or cushion
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to add padding to
to bolster a dress
noun
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a long narrow pillow or cushion
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any pad or padded support
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architect a short horizontal length of timber fixed to the top of a post to increase the bearing area and reduce the span of the supported beam
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a cold chisel having a broad blade splayed towards the cutting edge, used for cutting stone slabs, etc
Synonym Usage
See cushion.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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bolstersimple
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bolsterssimple
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have bolsteredperfect
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has bolsteredperfect
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am bolsteringprogressive
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are bolsteringprogressive
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is bolsteringprogressive
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have been bolsteringperfect progressive
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has been bolsteringperfect progressive
Past
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bolsteredsimple
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had bolsteredperfect
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was bolsteringprogressive
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were bolsteringprogressive
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had been bolsteringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of bolster
First recorded before 1000; Middle English bolstre (noun), Old English bolster; cognate with Old Norse bolstr, Dutch bolster, German Polster
Explanation
When you cheer up a friend who's feeling down, you bolster them. To bolster is to offer support or strengthen. A bolster is also the name of a long pillow you might use to make your back feel better. And the two uses are not dissimilar. When you bolster your friends, you support them and prop them up, just like the pillow does for your back. When you're trying to bolster your credibility, you find people and/or documents that support you or your view. Bolster efforts to learn this word!
Vocabulary lists containing bolster
Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 1
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "B"
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30 GRE Words Beginning with "B" & "C"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The Lakers looked to bolster their depth at center by signing 7-foot center Lawson Lovering to a two-way contract Wednesday and waiving forward AK Okereke.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
Shifting fast-growing AI apps out of Azure stands to bolster growth in the more mature Microsoft 365 business, DiFucci said in an email to MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026
He says the ultra-Orthodox don't believe that the state really needs their boys to bolster numbers.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026
The industry had hoped that an improvement in China would bolster the sector’s recovery following a prolonged period of lackluster demand for luxury goods.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
Now he’s back to overcoats and a bolster that sends up a cloud of feathers when you touch it.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
“The market has ample capacity to price hikes well beyond what economic fundamentals would justify for a modal expectation, which only further bolsters the greenback,” said Morgan Stanley.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026
In an earnings call in May, he said that ownership bolsters the facilities’ protection from “unwarranted litigation” around medical care and other detention conditions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
They also used footage to piece together Mangione's alleged movements after the shooting, and ballistics and fingerprint evidence they claim bolsters their case.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
Smith said improved ties with Carney’s government is proof Canada still works, an argument she hopes bolsters the federalist cause.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Her tail hung over the arm bolsters, dripping.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
Despite the bolstered tax incentives, local film and TV production in the Los Angeles area continues on a downward trend.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026
Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, another Measure LA supporter, agrees that accountability and efficiency could be bolstered under a revamped system.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
High stock valuations and low unemployment, meanwhile, have bolstered spending among richer households while allowing Americans of more modest means to spend at levels adequate to undergird a six-year-old expansion.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026
The U.K. retailer said a strong online performance and store openings bolstered its sales growth, with revenue up 24% compared with the year-earlier period.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
My resolve is bolstered just by her presence.
From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed
China’s central bank is bolstering stock-buying tools as a market slump threatens financing for technology companies.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
Now, the prediction market is bolstering compliance protocols and expanding its executive ranks as it eyes an IPO.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
Arla Foods Ingredients signed an agreement to acquire Volac’s Whey Nutrition business in 2024, bolstering its ability to turn whey into sports nutrition ingredients.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Brian Atlas of the “Whatever” podcast posted a video of the alleged victim drinking with Peters, as if it were exonerating evidence instead of bolstering the criminal case against him.
From Salon ● Sep. 25, 2026
The two theories had to be congenitally linked—each bolstering and completing the other.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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