1
as in promising
having qualities which inspire hope
encouraging signs that the economy is improving
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in favorable
pointing toward a happy outcome
we're off to an encouraging start on this project
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in promoting
to help the growth or development of
asserted that the government should be encouraging small businesses, not smothering them with regulations
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3
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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4
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of encouraging
Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2025
What has been so encouraging this week is the groundswell of independent, credible public health and medical professionals from all around the world who shared their voices – everyone from the World Health Organization to local family doctors.
—Ashley Lutz, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2025
That means encouraging teams to slow down, check sender info, confirm requests through other channels and report anything that feels off.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for encouraging
Adjective
Tye finds the ability to estimate the universe’s lifespan encouraging.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2025
What has been so encouraging this week is the groundswell of independent, credible public health and medical professionals from all around the world who shared their voices – everyone from the World Health Organization to local family doctors.
—Ashley Lutz, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
There is a bag policy in effect for the shows, and organizers are encouraging fans to travel light to expedite entry into the venue.
—Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2025
That means encouraging teams to slow down, check sender info, confirm requests through other channels and report anything that feels off.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for encouraging
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encouraging
Adjective
-
With Knight looking sharp and stonewalling several promising scoring chances, Boqvist delivered his fourth game-winning goal since signing with the Panthers before last season and ninth of his career.—
Andre Fernandez,
Miami Herald,
8 Oct. 2025
-
As part of his homework, Hanke provided a systemic analysis that narrowed a list of 239 potential candidates to the 50 most promising choices.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The smoke was billowing, but that ray of sunshine that came through was just very comforting.—
Georgea Kovanis,
Freep.com,
5 Oct. 2025
-
The hearty blend of tomatoes, chicken, turkey, and rice is seriously comforting.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Conditions are favorable for the development of weak, brief funnel clouds.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Its surveys vary in their findings across time and can be either favorable or unfavorable to the government.—
Nina Khrushcheva,
Time,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The film reveals awe-inspiring cosmic vistas and glimpses of daily life in orbit, captured with 8K ultra-high-definition cameras.—
Marcelo Cajueiro,
Variety,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Bridges have always been one of the most awe-inspiring marvels of engineering.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Milei instead relied on the IMF’s guidance for promoting fiscal discipline.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Leo will soon embark on his first international trip, visiting Turkey and Lebanon, where he is expected to focus on promoting peace in the Middle East.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But an interview with Trump on 60 Minutes also presents tremendous risk for a news organization that has already been the focus of the president’s ire and is now trying to maintain its credibility without provoking him again.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
2 Oct. 2025
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This is an installment of The Nightcrawler, a weekly collection of thought-provoking articles on tech, innovation, and long-term investing by Eric Markowitz of Nightview Capital.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Rachel Goldberg-Polin emerged as a moral voice, urging an end to the war and healing for Israel's internal divisions.—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
-
The city of Evanston, an urban suburb of Chicago, issued a statement warning its residents of impending raids by ICE agents and urging them to report sightings of law enforcement.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Rooms around her, their doors still painted bright yellow from when the hotel was a boutique property, started to empty out.—
Ashley Hiruko,
ProPublica,
6 Oct. 2025
-
The future is bright for this organization.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Encouraging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encouraging. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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