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 notion is expressed in the survey results, which found wide variation in how faculty members mention AI use in syllabuses or whether they encourage or discourage AI in classes.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
"And cancer is potentially exploiting that same principle, changing where in the genome these dynamics are more important to manipulate cell identity and encourage uncontrolled growth."
From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026
Surely, Jackson wrote, a state can direct doctors to discourage, and not encourage, smoking cigarettes.
From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026
It is also hoped that making food waste collections available to all homes will encourage people to reduce how much food they waste in the first place.
From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026
And, as far as I knew, she hadn’t visited Ma to encourage us to return.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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.
