embolden
Americanverb (used with object)
-
emboldens,
present (3rd person singular)
-
emboldened,
past participle, past
-
emboldening
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
emboldensimple
-
emboldenssimple
-
have emboldenedperfect
-
has emboldenedperfect
-
am emboldeningprogressive
-
are emboldeningprogressive
-
is emboldeningprogressive
-
have been emboldeningperfect progressive
-
has been emboldeningperfect progressive
Past
-
emboldenedsimple
-
had emboldenedperfect
-
was emboldeningprogressive
-
were emboldeningprogressive
-
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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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:
Devoted to rank-and-file labor organizing, it wants to put its people into key industries—logistics and public education, for example—and then embolden their unions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
Another parade through the streets of downtown Los Angeles this fall would only embolden their efforts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
Joshua Burt, a regional director for the Anti-Defamation League, called the suggested sentence “woefully inadequate” and said he feared it would embolden violence against the Jewish community.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2026
And compared to previous incidents, the US response to the latest spat "has been muted so far, which may embolden China", said Lin and Govella.
From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2026
After all, he was himself a former bond trader, and had been brought in to embolden Morgan Stanley’s risk-taking culture.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
The pattern is familiar: Elites hesitate to name antisemitism clearly for fear of inflaming tensions, only to discover that ambiguity emboldens extremists rather than restraining them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 14, 2025
The case appears rather robust, and also emboldens California's similar case.
From BBC ● May 29, 2025
Inaction only emboldens the Truman’s enemies, which in this case include gravity and potentially an octopus, and encourages further mischief.
From Slate ● May 8, 2025
Yossy Arefi, who adds lemon for brightness—it emboldens the earthiness of the carrots.
From Salon ● Apr. 15, 2025
Perhaps it’s the safe feeling that emboldens me.
From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
Instead, the conflict has emboldened Iran’s leaders and mobilized their supporters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
Karim, another would-be migrant turned back, said news of some successful crossings emboldened many to make their own attempt.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
For now, Infantino is as emboldened as he has ever been.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
The recent clashes with Saudi Arabia, coupled with escalating U.S. military action against Iran, have emboldened the Houthis to step in, analysts say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
“That some of the officers are real buddy-buddy with the in-mates,” said one of the Antonellis, seeming emboldened.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
SpaceX’s historic offering in June went surprisingly smoothly despite its giant size, emboldening many companies to push forward with IPOs in the second-half of the year, according to people familiar with the matter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Over the past week, investors paid particular attention as four out of the “Magnificent Seven” megacap tech stocks reported earnings, with results that spooked some investors while emboldening others.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2025
Allowing agents to mask indiscriminately doesn’t just protect them; it also risks emboldening them to stretch the boundaries of the law.
From Slate ● Jun. 17, 2025
What matters is protecting a force like cinema that brings humans together, not emboldening the technology that keeps us apart.
From Salon ● May 24, 2025
Appeasement works only to aggravate their drives and strengthen their appetites by emboldening them and by raising the threshold of excitation and "narcissistic supply".
From Terrorists and Freedom Fighters by Samuel Vaknin
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.
