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
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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:
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
Its inclusion will hearten many developing nations, which have been asking for a clear financial commitment to tackle the impacts of climate change that they can't adapt to.
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
But we knew that the news would hearten them.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
This heartens Jimmy so much that he calls Kim at Palm Coast Sprinklers in Titusville, Fla., which is where she seems to work.
From New York Times ● Aug. 1, 2022
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
And though I know his battle against the shadows that kept him company in solitary are not yet won, he is getting better, which heartens me.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 30, 2018
A head-wind heartens them, but it quickly flits off laden with kisses for Andalusian sweethearts; and again the east wind fills the sails and carries them away, and away, and away!
From Ten Great Events in History by James Johonnot
"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
McShane and Sartenaer have been heartened by the immediate response to the documentary.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 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
At the time it heartened me that Bunny, in spite of his obviously disturbed state of mind, nonetheless continued to follow the old routine so easily.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
"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
Maximize the heartening and heartrending, and you’ll stand to maximize the viewer’s compassion, too.
From Salon ● Apr. 26, 2026
But representation, particularly these days, can be a radical act, and there’s something heartening at the sight of the Kim family enjoying their turn in the mainstream spotlight.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2026
The picture was widely published two days later as heartening evidence of how miserably equipped the American Army often was, despite its reputation for being rich.
From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut
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.
