encourage

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb encourage differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of encourage are embolden, hearten, and inspirit. While all these words 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

When might embolden be a better fit than encourage?

While the synonyms embolden and encourage are close in meaning, embolden implies the giving of courage sufficient to overcome timidity or reluctance.

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

When is hearten a more appropriate choice than encourage?

The words hearten and encourage can be used in similar contexts, but hearten implies the lifting of dispiritedness or despondency by an infusion of fresh courage or zeal.

a hospital patient heartened by good news

Where would inspirit be a reasonable alternative to encourage?

The meanings of inspirit and encourage largely overlap; however, inspirit, somewhat literary, implies instilling life, energy, courage, or vigor into something.

patriots inspirited the people to resist

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of encourage Following his death, Kimmel posted on Instagram, encouraging people to respond thoughtfully. Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2025 Could something on the policy side encourage greater adoption through public procurement targets and long-term offtake agreements? Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 12 Sep. 2025 Those who felt the quake are encouraged to report it via the USGS Felt Report form. Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 12 Sep. 2025 Edelman is helping fans get rid of sleepless nights by not only encouraging them to take the sleep-aid, but also by giving his weekly picks to help people make smarter lineup decisions. Dj Siddiqi, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for encourage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encourage
Verb
  • Oysters inspired the researchers because of their remarkable ability to attach to rocks, bridge pilings, or even each other in the harsh underwater environment.
    Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Odighizuwa said watching his mother’s struggles and strength inspired him to want to help others in the same situation.
    Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • However, the president’s criticism of mail-in ballots could risk disrupting the inroads Republicans made with voters last cycle, with the party spending millions promoting mail-in ballots ahead of the 2024 election.
    Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2025
  • It was created with the intention of promoting AI fluency and a future-ready, AI-confident workforce.
    Malana VanTyler, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Every action provokes a reaction.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Their works laid the foundation for a genre that continues to evolve, provoke, and inspire.
    Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Plaintiffs, including people who benefited from the legal protections, urged the appeals court to endorse the district court ruling, which found that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem could not categorically end protections for these groups, but instead had to evaluate each case individually.
    Michael Casey, Twin Cities, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Ficco urged those who sports bet to use reputable online big platforms, do research about where people deposit their money and be cautious.
    Patricio Chile, ABC News, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The key lies in cultivating self-awareness.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Words that call us not to manage time or extract value, but to cultivate and to care.
    Big Think, Big Think, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • At the same time, playful responsiveness stimulates the vagus nerve, a key part of the parasympathetic nervous system linked to relaxation and safety.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Salmon Salmon is rich in omega-3 and vitamin D, and helps to stimulate collagen production within the skin.
    Alessandra Signorelli, Vogue, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • To manage the thousands of people who descend daily, operators have studied visitors’ behavior and engineered their parks to move people around without anyone realizing they’re being nudged.
    Bianca Bosker, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Sure, word warfare can nudge us on some issues – like yea or nay on a state infrastructure initiative or a county sales tax or a school district bond.
    Sarah Stein Lubrano, Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Those included defending Novo's leadership in diabetes and obesity treatment, fostering a high performance culture and realigning the company's cost base and driving efficiencies.
    Karen Gilchrist,Katrina Bishop, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2025
  • The husband and wife team at the helm aims to foster joy, drawing inspiration from their experiences in Korea and Florida.
    Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Encourage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encourage. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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