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.
The revelation that part of the track at the crash site was broken has encouraged speculation that this might be the culprit.
From BBC
It has also encouraged beneficiaries to use online services, even as some older adults and people with disabilities have access issues.
From MarketWatch
Now living in Paris, she has founded a charity to encourage more women to take up chess as "a tool of empowerment."
From Barron's
Still, he shouldn’t have sent encouraging messages to the protesters if he wasn’t committed to backing them up.
"We encourage Ugandans to evoke any constitutional means to fight back," he added.
From BBC
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.
