encourage

[en-kur-ij, -kuhr-]

See more synonyms for encourage on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), en·cour·aged, en·cour·ag·ing.

to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence: His coach encouraged him throughout the marathon race to keep on running.
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.

Origin of encourage

1400–50; late Middle English encoragen < Anglo-French, Middle French encorag(i)er. See en-¹, courage

Related formsen·cour·ag·er, nounen·cour·ag·ing·ly, adverbo·ver·en·cour·age, verb (used with object), o·ver·en·cour·aged, o·ver·en·cour·ag·ing.pre·en·cour·age, verb (used with object), pre·en·cour·aged, pre·en·cour·ag·ing.re·en·cour·age, verb (used with object), re·en·cour·aged, re·en·cour·ag·ing.un·en·cour·aged, adjectiveun·en·cour·ag·ing, adjectivewell-en·cour·aged, adjective

Synonyms for encourage

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1. embolden, hearten, reassure. 2. urge; support, aid, help.

Antonyms for encourage

1. discourage, dishearten.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for encouraging

supportive, promising, hopeful, reassuring

Examples from the Web for encouraging

Contemporary Examples of encouraging

These (roughly) $2,500 ceremonies are supposedly about encouraging “positive feelings” on the part of the single brides.
Why Singles Should Say ‘I Don’t’ to The Self-Marriage Movement
Tim Teeman
December 30, 2014
Branch helped women feel beautiful by encouraging them to embrace their natural selves as she had.
Goodbye To A Natural Hair Guru: Miss Jessie's Cofounder Titi Branch Dead At 45
Danielle Belton
December 16, 2014
Not about encouraging aspiring butchers to live out their violent fantasies in Syria.
The Scared Widdle Kitty of ISIS
Jacob Siegel
December 12, 2014
Encouraging any victim of crime to come forward makes us all safer.
How I Stopped My Rapist
Natasha Alexenko
November 24, 2014
Once an event begins, staffers get the party going, encouraging kids to “Rage,” then film it, post it, dream it goes viral.
FinnaRage Wants You to Rage at Its Parties. So What if It Ends Up a Riot?
Melanie Plenda
October 27, 2014

Historical Examples of encouraging

Sometimes when they called their conduct was anything but encouraging.
Ester Ried Yet Speaking
Isabella Alden
The food difficulty we met by encouraging unofficial imports.
With Manchesters in the East
Gerald B. Hurst
And everybody turned towards the old man, pressing him and encouraging him.
L'Assommoir
Emile Zola
Did he even send them an encouraging message—a word of fellowship?
The Macdermots of Ballycloran
Anthony Trollope
"The Beethoven's fine," said Margaret, who was not a female of the encouraging type.
Howards End
E. M. Forster

British Dictionary definitions for encouraging

encourage

verb (tr)

to inspire (someone) with the courage or confidence (to do something)
to stimulate (something or someone to do something) by approval or help; support

Derived Formsencouragement, nounencourager, nounencouraging, adjectiveencouragingly, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for encouraging

encourage

early 15c., from Old French encoragier "make strong, hearten," from en- "make, put in" (see en- (1)) + corage (see courage). Related: Encouraged; encouraging.