exhort
Americanverb (used with object)
-
exhorts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
exhorted,
past participle, past
-
exhorting
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
exhorts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
exhorted,
past participle, past
-
exhorting
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
exhortsimple
-
exhortssimple
-
have exhortedperfect
-
has exhortedperfect
-
am exhortingprogressive
-
are exhortingprogressive
-
is exhortingprogressive
-
have been exhortingperfect progressive
-
has been exhortingperfect progressive
Past
-
exhortedsimple
-
had exhortedperfect
-
was exhortingprogressive
-
were exhortingprogressive
-
had been exhortingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of exhort
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English ex(h)orte, from Latin exhortārī “to encourage greatly,” from ex- ex- 1 + hortārī “to encourage, urge”
Explanation
French roots for the word exhort mean "thoroughly encourage," so to exhort is to fill up with encouragement! "When he heard the crowd exhort him with stomping and cheers, he knew that he could finish the marathon." Some synonyms for exhort include stimulate, excite, and urge on. Words and shouts can exhort, and this is especially true when the recipient of those chants fears coming up short with an effort. Exhortations may make the difference between winning or losing and marching on or giving up. A sergeant might exhort his troops after a defeat just as a dad can exhort his daughter after a missed note during a piano recital.
Vocabulary lists containing exhort
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Scarlet Letter
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "E"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Now and again the band pauses as the musicians praise and exhort each other.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2023
Her story appeared in Chinese social media despite digital and human censors and prompted commentators to exhort national media to highlight the scandal.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 7, 2023
Psychologists understand that the quickest way to understanding someone is through their wounds, and musicians too understand this power of music to comfort, console, encourage and exhort themselves and other broken hearts.
From Salon ● Nov. 25, 2022
Mr. Gorbachev threw himself into the work, honing his speaking skills, often making trips around the Stavropol region to exhort young people to be good socialists and believe in the party.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 30, 2022
He would exhort her and he would tell her all that was in his heart and still she was gentle.
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
“Badlands,” where Springsteen exhorts, “talk about a dream, try to make it real,” comes after “Tom Joad” as a counterbalance to the tale of hope and despair that precedes it.
From Salon ● May 28, 2026
Notaro frequently exhorts listeners to watch the show on YouTube, which she said is a “joking nudge” to listeners and a running gag among the hosts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
Around every bend are tiny rewards - a copse of trees with the Olympic rings poking out, a tiny reflecting-pool shrine that exhorts people to “remember here those who gave their lives for peace.”
From Washington Times ● Sep. 23, 2023
Around every bend are tiny rewards — a copse of trees with the Olympic rings poking out, a tiny reflecting-pool shrine that exhorts people to “remember here those who gave their lives for peace.”
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 23, 2023
There’s nothing to do but try to ignore the nasty stuff soaking my foot and, as Ted exhorts us, work through it.
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
Dubai Mall, one of the largest in the world, was crowded with shoppers on a recent weekend, exhorted by optimistic and patriotic signs suggesting the war was nothing but a bad memory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
Speaking at Davos earlier, Zelensky exhorted Europe to do more to ensure its own security, saying: "Europe loves to discuss the future but avoids taking action".
From BBC ● Jan. 22, 2026
Obviously reading from a prepared script, she exhorted Angelenos to help one another and expressed confidence that we would rebuild.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 10, 2025
“How will she remember this?” she exhorted her students.
From New York Times ● Apr. 25, 2024
We're off to the movies or to Capri's for an ice cream and just hanging out, the boys much exhorted to take care of the ladies.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
The show ends by exhorting visitors to help continue the Declaration’s journey.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2025
Among those exhorting tourists to come to Pahalgam was Bollywood actor Atul Kulkarni, who visited the town days after the attack.
From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2025
There were acrobats and dancers, and H.E.R. on the guitar, and the riser-flexing rendition of “Yeah!” with Ludacris and Lil Jon exhorting the crowd to their feet.
From Salon ● Feb. 12, 2024
He wept with fervor when exhorting his men into combat, embracing each individually.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 3, 2024
At the sight of the three of them nipping and rolling on the carpet, exhorting each other with socially useful phrases such as “Pass the salt, please!” and “May I take your umbrella?”
From "The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling" by Maryrose Wood
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.
