hearten
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
- heartener noun
- hearteningly adverb
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
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This Week in Words : January 19 - 25, 2019
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Every Day
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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.
The outpouring of love and offers of support hearten us.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 27, 2023
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
There is also some quite progressive language in this draft decision that will hearten campaigners, specifically the mention of coal.
From BBC • Nov. 10, 2021
Now I can admit to myself that I didn’t write the essay just to hearten a few conservationists and deflect some charitable dollars to better causes.
From The Guardian • Nov. 4, 2017
“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
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.
