encourage
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence.
His coach encouraged him throughout the marathon race to keep on running.
- Antonyms:
- dishearten, discourage
-
to stimulate by assistance, approval, etc..
One of the chief duties of a teacher is to encourage students.
-
to promote, advance, or foster.
Poverty often encourages crime.
verb
-
to inspire (someone) with the courage or confidence (to do something)
-
to stimulate (something or someone to do something) by approval or help; support
Other Word Forms
- encouragement noun
- encourager noun
- encouraging adjective
- encouragingly adverb
- overencourage verb (used with object)
- preencourage verb (used with object)
- reencourage verb (used with object)
- unencouraged adjective
- unencouraging adjective
- well-encouraged adjective
Etymology
Origin of encourage
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English encoragen, from Anglo-French, Middle French encorag(i)er; en- 1 ( def. ), courage ( def. )
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.
But that also marks a clear transformation in culinary programming from emphasizing the development of proficiency to encouraging consumption.
From Salon
But it does promote order by redirecting the ambitious few into what Mr. Mansfield calls “the bloodless killing of commerce” while reducing the material deprivation that encourages discontent among the many poor.
He encouraged me to turn my investigative eye on her, framing it as a way for me to better understand him.
He tried to think of his father, his grandfather, his mother, of how they would call out, encourage him, love him, but they would not be summoned up.
From Literature
Researchers at Griffith University report encouraging progress toward treating sepsis after a Phase II clinical trial in China produced positive results.
From Science Daily
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.
