embolden

verb

em·​bold·​en im-ˈbōl-dən 

emboldened; emboldening; emboldens

transitive verb

: to impart boldness or courage to : to instill with boldness, courage, or resolution enough to overcome timidity or misgiving

Great leaders embolden the rest of us to rise to our highest potentialities, to be active, insistent and resolute in affirming our own sense of things.

—Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.

… being near her twin did seem to embolden her, to loosen her tongue.

—John Updike

… other voices too timid to speak in class are often emboldened by the different and more protected role an online conversation provides.

—Richard A. Lanham

Synonyms of embolden

• inspire
• encourage

Choose the Right Synonym for embolden

encourage, inspirit, hearten, embolden mean to fill with courage or strength of purpose.

encourage suggests the raising of one's confidence especially by an external agency.

the teacher's praise encouraged the students to greater efforts

inspirit, somewhat literary, implies instilling life, energy, courage, or vigor into something.

patriots inspirited the people to resist

hearten implies the lifting of dispiritedness or despondency by an infusion of fresh courage or zeal.

a hospital patient heartened by good news

embolden implies the giving of courage sufficient to overcome timidity or reluctance.

emboldened by her first success, she tried an even more difficult climb

Examples of embolden in a Sentence

his poor showing in his first swim meet just emboldened him to train even harder

Recent Examples on the Web

Petrostates and oil companies are increasingly emboldened to push back against any language blaming fossil fuels for climate change or committing to phasing them out. —Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025

The Pakistani Taliban, or TTP, have become emboldened since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021, and many of the group's leaders and fighters are believed to have taken refuge in Afghanistan. —NPR, 11 Nov. 2025

Incoming New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani‘s landslide victory on Tuesday has emboldened the Democratic Party’s left wing, lending hopes of victory to several socialist congressional candidates hostile to Israel. —Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 8 Nov. 2025

DoorDash’s strong cash generation has emboldened the company to spend more in growth areas, including the competitive grocery and retail delivery space. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for embolden

• beholden
• bolden
• golden
• holden
• olden
• soldan

Kids Definition

embolden

verb

em·​bold·​en im-ˈbōl-dən 

: to make bold