hearten

verb

heart·​en ˈhär-tᵊn How to pronounce hearten (audio)
heartened; heartening ˈhär-tᵊn-iŋ How to pronounce hearten (audio)
ˈhärt-niŋ

transitive verb

: to give heart to : cheer
hearteningly
ˈhär-tᵊn-iŋ-lē How to pronounce hearten (audio)
ˈhärt-niŋ-
adverb
Choose the Right Synonym for hearten

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 hearten in a Sentence

The team's victory has heartened its fans. thinking we were hopelessly lost, we were heartened by the sight of a familiar farmhouse
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Advertisement Ryerson, who has a large social-media following as the Glyphosate Girl, says she has been heartened by steps taken by HHS to encourage the food industry to voluntarily stop using synthetic food dyes. Dominique Mosbergen, Time, 29 Sep. 2025 His message of unity was heartening. Steven P. Dinkin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Sep. 2025 He was heartened to see so many young people showing up—not just for new releases but for repertory titles, too. Justin Chang, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2025 Spokesperson Andrew Kolvet declined to comment on how much money the organization had raised after Kirk’s death, but said he was heartened by the number of people paying tribute to Kirk. Stephanie Murray, AZCentral.com, 18 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hearten

Word History

First Known Use

1524, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hearten was in 1524

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hearten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hearten. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

hearten

verb
heart·​en ˈhärt-ᵊn How to pronounce hearten (audio)
heartened; heartening ˈhärt-niŋ How to pronounce hearten (audio)
-ᵊn-iŋ
: to cheer up : encourage

More from Merriam-Webster on hearten

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!