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:
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to visit India for the second time this year, as Washington seeks to bolster ties with a strategic partner despite months of friction over a trade deal.
From Barron's ● Oct. 18, 2026
Porsche, facing dramatic sales declines in China, announced its own plan earlier this month to bolster its business by offering more expensive vehicles rather than chasing volume.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
Still, advanced economies have seen a boom in investment in artificial intelligence technology drive stock markets to new highs and bolster economic growth.
From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026
The investigation also revealed how bogus medical conditions and fake news websites were being used to bolster fraudulent asylum claims.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
“I shall have to purchase another. But first, I have some need of sheets, a bolster, a fire, and, with an even greater show of celerity, Madame, a bucket into which I may vomit broth.”
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
“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
Ms. Aptowicz’s sympathetic portrait of the people who stood their ground at Christiana bolsters recent reconsideration of their actions as resistance rather than a riot.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 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
Two bolsters can be piled on top of each other.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
County Fire Department has bolstered its on-duty staff by about 100 personnel, and additional firefighting crews have been sent to Southern California by the governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
It became one of several private seed herds that helped restock the continent and bolstered the herd at Yellowstone with 18 animals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Social media has bolstered the narcissistic machismo already present among many men and ubiquitous in fraternity life.
From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026
Those measurements bolstered the idea that the asteroid impact intensified volcanic activity, creating a one-two punch that contributed to the extinction of all non-avian dinosaurs.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026
Furthermore, she said that the Fifteenth Amendment bolstered her case.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
The tankan is likely to show “firmer business sentiment and elevated inflation expectations, bolstering the case for further BOJ rate hikes,” CBA’s Kristina Clifton says in a research report.
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
“Instead of supporting and bolstering her as a creative in their midst, she became their salon host,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
Companies have even committed to building their own power plants, bolstering demand in the "picks and shovels" sectors like construction and logistics.
From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026
Katherine’s mother moved to Morgantown to room with her daughter, bolstering her strength and confidence during her first days at the white school.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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