exhort
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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exhortsimple
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exhortssimple
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have exhortedperfect
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has exhortedperfect
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am exhortingprogressive
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are exhortingprogressive
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is exhortingprogressive
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have been exhortingperfect progressive
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has been exhortingperfect progressive
Past
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exhortedsimple
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had exhortedperfect
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was exhortingprogressive
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were exhortingprogressive
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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
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The Scarlet Letter
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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:
Korine would sometimes pop onto the stage to dance along and exhort the crowd, acting as his own hype man.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 8, 2024
There was a time when he would commonly exhort Congress to pass border legislation:
From Salon ● Feb. 7, 2024
He has used his appearances and events by surrogates to exhort them to turn out.
From New York Times ● Jan. 12, 2024
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
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
Amal and Hezbollah officials told the ambassador-designate to remain in Lebanon and exhorted the government to reverse its decision.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026
Official propaganda exhorted citizens to face their lives and their duty to the Fatherland with endurance and perseverance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 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
Importantly, he exhorted artists to always remain true to themselves.
From Salon ● Jan. 1, 2026
“Our struggle is your struggle,” exhorted student leaders.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
Gildas, as Mr. Higham relates, likened post-Roman Britain to ancient Israel, exhorting his countrymen to “renew their compact with God and thereby recover His favor and, in consequence, their ancestral homeland.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
As Kaya entered Walter Reed, she walked past two adults yelling at the principal and exhorting students: “Do you feel safe? You shouldn’t give your phones to these people.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2025
And now, here she was - seemingly a middle-aged woman - exhorting Tamilians across the world to take forward the political struggle for their freedom.
From BBC ● May 15, 2024
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
Indeed, the act of exhorting was designed to enhance the prospect by talking about it as if it were a foregone conclusion, which Washington most assuredly knew it was not.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
