encourage

1
2
3
4

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 While strength training is their primary focus, Trainor enjoys encouraging Sabara to push himself physically. Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 13 May 2025 There are also eco-friendly touches, including an hourglass timer that encourages you to keep your shower to less than five minutes. Julia Chaplin, Travel + Leisure, 13 May 2025 To honor that, the RHS teamed up with Harkness Roses to create a rose that encourages everyone to spend more time outside and stop to smell the roses. Lauren Thomann, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 May 2025 Essential Utilities on Monday posted first-quarter earnings of $1.03 per share on revenue of $784 million, encouraging Janney Montgomery Scott analyst Michael Gaugler to reiterate a buy rating. Darla Mercado, Cfp®, CNBC, 13 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for encourage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encourage
Verb
  • Consider trying one of these luxurious neck-tie blouses inspired by celebrities, below.
    Nicol Natale, People.com, 15 May 2025
  • The commercial presents scenes, inspired by A’ja’s childhood, that resonate with many Black girls and women.
    Timeka Tounsel, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Verb
  • After adding Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler, Alex Bregman and others before opening day, the Red Sox promoted Kristian Campbell to serve as their everyday second baseman, with some starts in center field, too.
    Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
  • Plus, hair loss treatments do so much more than promote hair growth, which usually takes a couple of months to see.
    Jamie Allison Sanders, People.com, 13 May 2025
Verb
  • But if Washington follows a few principles, such improvements will not necessarily provoke Chinese aggression.
    Oriana Skylar Mastro, Foreign Affairs, 20 May 2025
  • Doctors gave her Pitocin, a medication used to provoke contractions, and a Foley balloon, which is a catheter-​like device that gets the cervix to dilate.
    Kayla Grant, People.com, 20 May 2025
Verb
  • Proposing and supporting systemic changes in our health care system, including urging the Green Mountain Care Board to implement hospital/payer-specific revenue caps − an important step toward affordability.
    Dan D'Ambrosio, USA Today, 10 May 2025
  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio called senior officials in both countries before the attacks, urging them to ease tensions.
    Annabella Rosciglione, The Washington Examiner, 10 May 2025
Verb
  • Their neighbors were literate, cultivated, liberal in their politics.
    Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 18 May 2025
  • The sun enters Gemini, cultivating a month of optimism and cattiness.
    Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 16 May 2025
Verb
  • Aeration stimulates new growth to cover areas damaged by fairy rings.
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 11 May 2025
  • Zaria Court is designed to stimulate local economies, creating jobs not only in sports but also in surrounding sectors, from retail to hospitality.
    Sindiswa Mabunda, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
Verb
  • Trump’s deals are designed to nudge the region towards greater alignment with the US, experts say.
    Will Knight, Wired News, 15 May 2025
  • Economists were split over whether the tariffs nudged inflation higher last month.
    Paul Davidson, USA Today, 14 May 2025
Verb
  • Also unique to its program, the AI Workshop offers what every parent needs today, such as guidelines and best practices for integrating AI technology as well as an entire lesson dedicated to the importance of fostering creativity.
    Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 22 May 2025
  • Future research should continue to explore advanced AI techniques, improve the integration of diverse data sources and foster greater international cooperation to build a robust and adaptive framework for detecting and mitigating the risks associated with hot money flows.
    Yidi Xu, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Encourage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encourage. Accessed 24 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on encourage

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!