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
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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
Ralph had watched the water fight with sadness in his heart, never guessing the scene would one day hearten him, as it did now.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
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
It heartens a person up wonderful to know that up through the clouds the sky is blue anyway.
From The Second Chance by Nellie L. McClung
Pocognoli said he was heartened by that second half.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
Recently, he wrote online that he is stressed about the world his two young children will inherit, but he is heartened by one thing:
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
"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
Cluny was heartened to see things going right for a change.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
"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
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
So it was heartening to see, in addition to the longtime concertgoers who are legion, several former Ojai music directors, the title given annually to the person or group who is the festival’s public face.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
The answer will not be heartening to obsessive parents: in this case, school choice barely mattered at all.
From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
