hearten
Americanverb (used with object)
-
heartens,
present (3rd person singular)
-
heartened,
past participle, past
-
heartening
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
heartensimple
-
heartenssimple
-
have heartenedperfect
-
has heartenedperfect
-
am hearteningprogressive
-
are hearteningprogressive
-
is hearteningprogressive
-
have been hearteningperfect progressive
-
has been hearteningperfect progressive
Past
-
heartenedsimple
-
had heartenedperfect
-
was hearteningprogressive
-
were hearteningprogressive
-
had been hearteningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of hearten
Explanation
Things that hearten you cheer you up. A welcome home party will hearten even the weariest traveler. You might buy flowers for your grandmother to hearten her after a difficult week, or hearten a shy tap dancer with applause after his routine. Things that encourage or inspire, whether it's the sight of your dog waiting for you outside school or another person's success, can also be said to hearten. The figurative meaning of heart — as in "losing heart" or having a "change of heart" — is at the root of hearten, from the Old English heorte, "heart, soul, or spirit."
Vocabulary lists containing hearten
The Crucible
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!
This Week in Words : January 19 - 25, 2019
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!
Every Day
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:
This will hearten Kyiv, which has demanded more pressure be placed on Russia in talks between Moscow and Washington discussing a possible ceasefire.
From BBC ● May 1, 2025
The relatively shorter break, after the company picked 2025 as the potential date for BTS' return as a group, also appeared to hearten the market.
From Reuters ● Oct. 18, 2022
But what if you’re looking to hearten rather than startle the soul?
From New York Times ● Oct. 29, 2020
That would give fresh impetus to the Cop26 talks, and hearten activists.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 30, 2020
“Poor girl, you’re worn out. It isn’t like you to be forlorn. Stop a bit. I’ll hearten you up in a jiffy.”
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
What heartens Sellars is a basic human need for creativity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 11, 2020
“What heartens me is that Republicans and Democrats both hear about this issue,” she said.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 6, 2019
The outpouring of support heartens her, but Valerio has a less-than-optimistic forecast for Muslims.
From The Guardian ● May 13, 2018
“The important part, and the thing that heartens me, is, we have a very good dialogue going,” Edgmon said.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 5, 2017
She heartens Gregory with stirring appeal to the memories of his great predecessors— yet more with impassioned reminder of that mystery of divine love and sacrifice from which their strength was drawn.
From Letters of Catherine Benincasa by Saint of Siena Catherine
Lee was heartened that her new bosses seemed excited to have her.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
McShane and Sartenaer have been heartened by the immediate response to the documentary.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
Isak may have been the beneficiary of a goalkeeping error for his first-half goal, but the manner in which he ran at the Tunisian defence then showed the confidence to shoot will have heartened Iraola.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
Investors on Friday were heartened by better-than-expected data from April’s jobs report, which suggested a strengthening labor market despite fears that AI will disrupt employment.
From MarketWatch ● May 10, 2026
As we started for the Globe in the morning, I was heartened to see that, for a change, the sky was clear.
From "The Shakespeare Stealer" by Gary L. Blackwood
"I find it very heartening," 24-year-old Magnus Bjerg Sturm told AFP at the Social Democrats party at a Stockholm conference centre.
From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026
Not to tout major corporations too much, but it is heartening to see that even businesses worth billions of dollars have their customer in mind, too.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
At a time when drama has come to depend on celebrity leads and commercial hype, this bounty of understated excellence is heartening.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
"We didn't realise how wide the interest is; it's heartening to see that a lot of people care about this farm," said Hicks.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
Then to the sullen and despairing North there came heartening news, the first of which was in a dispatch from Mobile, Alabama.
From "Across Five Aprils" by Irene Hunt
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.
