bolster
Americannoun
-
bolsters
plural
-
a long, often cylindrical, cushion or pillow for a bed, sofa, etc.
-
anything resembling this in form or in use as a support.
-
any pillow, cushion, or pad.
-
Nautical.
-
Also called bolster plate. a circular casting on the side of a vessel, through which an anchor chain passes.
-
a timber used as a temporary support.
-
a beam for holding lines or rigging without chafing.
-
a bag filled with buoyant material, fitted into a small boat.
-
-
Metalworking. an anvillike support for the lower die of a drop forge.
-
Masonry.
-
a timber or the like connecting two ribs of a centering.
-
a chisel with a blade splayed toward the edge, used for cutting bricks.
-
-
Carpentry. a horizontal timber on a post for lessening the free span of a beam.
-
a structural member on which one end of a bridge truss rests.
verb (used with object)
-
bolsters,
present (3rd person singular)
-
bolstered,
past participle, past
-
bolstering
present participle
-
to support with or as with a pillow or cushion.
-
to add to, support, strengthen, or uphold (sometimes followed byup ).
They bolstered their morale by singing.
He bolstered up his claim with new evidence.
- Synonyms:
- fortify, reinforce, aid, sustain, strengthen
verb
-
(often foll by up) to support or reinforce; strengthen
to bolster morale
-
to prop up with a pillow or cushion
-
to add padding to
to bolster a dress
noun
-
a long narrow pillow or cushion
-
any pad or padded support
-
architect a short horizontal length of timber fixed to the top of a post to increase the bearing area and reduce the span of the supported beam
-
a cold chisel having a broad blade splayed towards the cutting edge, used for cutting stone slabs, etc
Synonym Usage
See cushion.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
bolstersimple
-
bolsterssimple
-
have bolsteredperfect
-
has bolsteredperfect
-
am bolsteringprogressive
-
are bolsteringprogressive
-
is bolsteringprogressive
-
have been bolsteringperfect progressive
-
has been bolsteringperfect progressive
Past
-
bolsteredsimple
-
had bolsteredperfect
-
was bolsteringprogressive
-
were bolsteringprogressive
-
had been bolsteringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of bolster
First recorded before 1000; Middle English bolstre (noun), Old English bolster; cognate with Old Norse bolstr, Dutch bolster, German Polster
Explanation
When you cheer up a friend who's feeling down, you bolster them. To bolster is to offer support or strengthen. A bolster is also the name of a long pillow you might use to make your back feel better. And the two uses are not dissimilar. When you bolster your friends, you support them and prop them up, just like the pillow does for your back. When you're trying to bolster your credibility, you find people and/or documents that support you or your view. Bolster efforts to learn this word!
Vocabulary lists containing bolster
Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 1
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!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "B"
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!
30 GRE Words Beginning with "B" & "C"
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:
Newsom issued an executive order to convene “a group of world-leading experts” to provide a “guide” for the state to bolster its laws around AI security, according to statement from the governor’s office.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
German troops invaded Lithuania in the 1940s and are now back on Lithuanian soil, this time by invitation, to bolster that country's defences against the threat from the east.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
The analysis, released Tuesday morning, is expected to bolster Hollywood’s push for a federal production incentive, which the industry says is necessary to compete with the generous credits offered abroad.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
Because it does, says Daniel Lozano, CEO of Kindworks.ai, a workplace-software company that aims to bolster kindness at the office.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
The pale yellow bolster pillow is the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen, packaged on the ends like a big yellow hotdog.
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
Ms. Aptowicz’s sympathetic portrait of the people who stood their ground at Christiana bolsters recent reconsideration of their actions as resistance rather than a riot.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
They also used footage to piece together Mangione's alleged movements after the shooting, and ballistics and fingerprint evidence they claim bolsters their case.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
In a broadly sweet, vivacious and gorgeously sung set Tuesday, that sentiment revealed the moral clarity that bolsters her songs about devotion and intimacy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
The way everyone responded to this error—by turning a simple mistake into a ritual flogging—only bolsters the toxic notion that the press is forever viciously intruding on the secret, sacred work of perfect jurists.
From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2026
He had broken his back, someone said, but there was nothing anyone could do, and now men were stepping over him with their blankets and bolsters, and others were jostling to go up.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
The company has bolstered the memory capacity on its devices to support these capabilities — simultaneously heightening its supply-chain cost pressures.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 7, 2026
Shares of Snowflake jumped 17% to $356.47 after the software maker said an AI-powered computer-coding agent bolstered quarterly sales growth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
Imports rose 2.8 percent to $399.3 billion, bolstered by computers, computer accessories and semiconductors.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
It gives City a net spend of £208m in 2026, which will be further bolstered by Tottenham's obligation to buy Omar Marmoush for £60m at the end of his loan spell next season.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
And then the three of us are laughing again, exhilarated, bolstered together in our defiance.
From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson
Companies have even committed to building their own power plants, bolstering demand in the "picks and shovels" sectors like construction and logistics.
From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026
Margolius credits building community trust and bolstering federally qualified health centers for expanding access to vaccines.
From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2026
It has earmarked $2 billion to divert as many as four rivers into the waterway, bolstering three that already feed it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
But another top priority would be bolstering the city’s cultural self-esteem.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Katherine’s mother moved to Morgantown to room with her daughter, bolstering her strength and confidence during her first days at the white school.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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.
