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:
Research on whether current or future AI systems could develop consciousness may further bolster the nascent AI rights movement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 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
JPMorgan’s “security and resiliency initiative” is helping bolster U.S. supply chains and defense contractors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
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
She was just trying to bolster my mood and keep my spirits up—and maybe my courage, too.
From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings
“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
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
Molex, which is owned by private U.S. company Koch Industries, said the deal marks a strategic expansion and bolsters capacity for the increasing demand for data centers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
In a broadly sweet, vivacious and gorgeously sung set Tuesday, that sentiment revealed the moral clarity that bolsters her songs about devotion and intimacy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
We put Alphie in the pram and pile around him the pot, the pan, the kettle, the jamjars and mugs, the Pope, two bolsters and the coats from the beds.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
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
Export growth broadened in the second quarter and strengthened overall, Macklem said, bolstered by robust U.S. demand, higher energy production and increasing signs that businesses are adapting to the upheaval in global trade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
Midland is followed on the list by Homosassa Springs, Fla., which is bolstered by its strong affordability scores, growth of its older population and low retiree taxes.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026
On Saturday, their numbers were bolstered by trade union members and other protest groups.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
Dad was a perpetual optimist, confident that brains someday would triumph over inanimate steel; bolstered in the belief that he entered the fray with clean hands and a pure heart.
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
The chancellor has been seeking to regain some of his lost momentum by demonstrating Germany's appeal to investors and bolstering the muted economic recovery.
From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026
The next step is bolstering the reliability of communications and data integration systems so AI-powered weaponry can actually help human fighters out in remote and austere conditions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 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 swelling music, the soft hoodie, the linked arms bolstering me.
From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon
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