encourage

verb

en·​cour·​age in-ˈkər-ij How to pronounce encourage (audio)
-ˈkə-rij,
en-
encouraged; encouraging

transitive verb

1
a
: to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope : hearten
she was encouraged to continue by her early success
b
: to attempt to persuade : urge
they encouraged him to go back to school
2
: to spur on : stimulate
warm weather encourages plant growth
3
: to give help or patronage to : foster
government grants designed to encourage conservation
encourager noun
Choose the Right Synonym for encourage

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 encourage in a Sentence

They encouraged us in our work. Encourage each other with kind words. The program is meant to encourage savings. Warm weather encourages plant growth. He claims the new regulations will encourage investment. He claims the new regulations will encourage people to invest. We want to encourage students to read more. My parents encouraged me to go back to college. They encouraged her to go.
Recent Examples on the Web Plus, having storage encourages kids to tidy up—a win-win for parents! Samantha McIntyre, Parents, 9 Mar. 2024 Plus, the state and some local governments have encouraged ADU construction as part of the effort to expand the supply of housing. Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024 Doesn’t this encourage more bad feelings: solipsism, nihilism, futility? Lauren Oyler, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2024 Officials like Julie Sainz, director of FAFSA and college access initiatives with the board, are encouraging students to push through any hiccups in what’s been a rocky launch of the 2024-2025 FAFSA by using support provided by education groups across the state. The Arizona Republic, 8 Mar. 2024 If there is, Randolph’s friends and colleagues have encouraged her to get into it. Helena Andrews-Dyer, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 International Women's Day organizers encourage all, not just women, to get involved by striking the #InspireInclusion pose – making a heart symbol with your hands – and sharing selfies on social media with the hashtags #IWD2024 and #InspireInclusion. Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2024 There is a danger that many feminist narratives leave men feeling defensive and threatened, rather than encouraged to support women who need it if our world is to become more equitable. Luba Kassova, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2024 Crypto withdrawals are encouraged, as these are usually finished in under 48 hours and are fee-free. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'encourage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English encoragen, from Anglo-French encorager, from en- + curage courage

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of encourage was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near encourage

Cite this Entry

“Encourage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encourage. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

encourage

verb
en·​cour·​age in-ˈkər-ij How to pronounce encourage (audio)
-ˈkə-rij
encouraged; encouraging
1
a
: to cause to feel courage, spirit, or hope
encouraged by her kind words
b
: to try to persuade
encouraged him to go back to school
2
: to spur on : stimulate
3
: to give help to : foster
government grants to encourage young artists
warm weather encourages plant growth
encouragement
-mənt
noun
encouragingly
-ij-iŋ-lē
-rij-
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on encourage

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