Definition of embolden
transitive verb
:to instill with boldness or courage
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Examples of embolden in a Sentence
his poor showing in his first swim meet just emboldened him to train even harder
Recent Examples of embolden from the Web
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The Administration’s refusal to quickly and unequivocally condemn the cancer of hatred only further emboldens those who wish America ill.
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The Administration’s refusal to quickly and unequivocally condemn the cancer of hatred only further emboldens those who wish America ill.
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This mannequin incident is just one more in a too-long line of similar stories where criminals feel emboldened to be racist and anti-Semitic.
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Hate groups feel embolden by Trump's presidential campaign and victory.
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White nationalists may feel emboldened right now, but there are other kinds of hate groups as well.
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Trump's election has inflamed and emboldened those who embrace them.
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If anything, Trump’s presidency has only grown those fissures and emboldened a contingent of aggrieved voters.
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To be fair, some women might feel emboldened by shoving an expensive rock in there.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'embolden.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of embolden
15th century
embolden Synonyms
Synonyms
bear up, buck up, buoy (up), cheer (up), chirk (up), encourage, hearten, inspire, inspirit, steelAntonyms
daunt, discourage, dishearten, dispiritRelated Words
animate, enliven, invigorate; enforce, fortify, reinforce (also reenforce), strengthen; assure, reassure; boost, energize, excite, galvanize, provoke, quicken, rally, stimulate, stirNear Antonyms
demoralize, depress, sadden; debilitate, enfeeble, hamstring, undermine, weaken; intimidate, psych (out)Synonym Discussion of 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.
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- the teacher's praise encouraged the students to greater efforts
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- patriots inspirited the people to resist
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- a hospital patient heartened by good news
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- emboldened by her first success, she tried an even more difficult climb
EMBOLDEN Defined for English Language Learners
embolden
play
verb
Definition of embolden for English Language Learners
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: to make (someone) more confident
Learn More about embolden
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See words that rhyme with embolden Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for embolden Nglish: Translation of embolden for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of embolden for Arabic speakers
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