hearten
Americanverb (used with object)
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heartens,
present (3rd person singular)
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heartened,
past participle, past
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heartening
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
heartensimple
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heartenssimple
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have heartenedperfect
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has heartenedperfect
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am hearteningprogressive
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are hearteningprogressive
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is hearteningprogressive
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have been hearteningperfect progressive
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has been hearteningperfect progressive
Past
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heartenedsimple
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had heartenedperfect
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was hearteningprogressive
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were hearteningprogressive
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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
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This Week in Words : January 19 - 25, 2019
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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:
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
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
It heartens her when people tell her they are vaccinated and boosted, if eligible.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 28, 2022
It fortifies and heartens me to witness the protests against this practice and the growing clamor from serious, nonpartisan public servants to redress it.
From New York Times ● Jun. 26, 2020
That message heartens people like Loralean Jordan, a parishioner of the predominantly Black congregation of the Church of Saint Peter Claver in St. Paul, Minnesota.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 21, 2020
“What heartens me was within a couple of weeks of that passing, was the council came together and said, ‘Let’s do what we can to make sure that we get a year-round shelter before then.’
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 12, 2018
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
"And I was heartened to hear Julia reflect that that was the experience that took place in our office."
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
Investors seemed heartened by news that British authorities have cleared Ellison’s proposed takeover.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Borrowers had been heartened by the regular falls in mortgage rates during June and early July, but brokers say the latest changes are evidence of the uncertainty in the sector.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
I’m quite heartened to see that the public is having the right reaction to digital technologies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
Sticky asked, heartened to learn of someone else having difficulty with the maze.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
That something so bold can have the journey this film has had is even more heartening.
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 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
Either way, it’s heartening to hear people say they want to give back.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 20, 2026
But amid all this weaponization and retribution is a heartening reality: In America, it doesn’t work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 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.
