Synonym Chooser

How does the verb hearten differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of hearten are embolden, encourage, and inspirit. While all these words mean "to fill with courage or strength of purpose," hearten implies the lifting of dispiritedness or despondency by an infusion of fresh courage or zeal.

a hospital patient heartened by good news

When can embolden be used instead of hearten?

While in some cases nearly identical to hearten, 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 might encourage be a better fit than hearten?

Although the words encourage and hearten have much in common, encourage suggests the raising of one's confidence especially by an external agency.

the teacher's praise encouraged the students to greater efforts

When could inspirit be used to replace hearten?

The words inspirit and hearten are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 hearten That confidence heartened shareholders, of which Wilson is one of the largest. Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 20 May 2025 Recent trade deal announcements with the U.K. and China have heartened the stock market which soared on Monday following the U.S. agreement with China. Anne Marie D. Lee, CBS News, 15 May 2025 The results heartened Democrats, who have struggled to coalesce around a unified message since Trump took office. Julia Manchester, The Hill, 2 Apr. 2025 The online reaction is beyond anything Kate expected, but she's been so heartened by all the love and support shown towards her little warrior. Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for hearten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hearten
Verb
  • The movie’s director herself was inspired to to bring this to life after having her own experience with matchmaking, but did the film accurately portray real New York City matchmaker experiences?
    Yola Robert, Forbes.com, 26 July 2025
  • Billy Joel has written some of the biggest hits of his generation, some of which were inspired by his family.
    Jordana Comiter, People.com, 26 July 2025
Verb
  • During his latter stint on the council, Spelman called on Austin police to reevaluate how officers spent their time and encouraged the city to consider alternative programs to reduce crime.
    Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 25 July 2025
  • Community members are encouraged to see the stadium before the start of the 2025 football season.
    Katie Nixon, The Tennessean, 25 July 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hearten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hearten. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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!