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as in comforting
making one feel good inside
the encouraging story of a young girl who overcame great social and physical obstacles to become an outstanding athlete
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as in inspiring
to fill with courage or strength of purpose
a pep talk that encouraged the team to get out there and win
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as in provoking
to rouse to strong feeling or action
the movie's cheap special effects will not encourage audiences to sit on the edge of their seats but to roll in the aisles with laughter
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as in urging
to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action
the pastor continues to encourage the couple to work out their problems in hopes of saving their marriage
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Thesaurus Entries Near encouraging
Cite this Entry
“Encouraging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encouraging. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on encouraging
Nglish: Translation of encouraging for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of encouraging for Arabic Speakers
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