1
as in promising
having qualities which inspire hope
a heartening visit to the hospital, where the patient was alert and sitting up
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in encouraging
making one feel good inside
hearing how his students still appreciated him after all those years was heartening to the music teacher
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in favorable
pointing toward a happy outcome
the accomplishments of the first day were a heartening start to our renovation of the house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in inspiring
to fill with courage or strength of purpose
thinking we were hopelessly lost, we were heartened by the sight of a familiar farmhouse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of heartening
Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
The arc of a wrongful-conviction story bends toward exoneration and release—a flawed but heartening correction of past wrongs.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
That has not been a heartening process.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2026
The most heartening thing about this deeply disturbing moment is seeing how consistently and forcefully Minnesotans of all demographics have been pushing back.
—Scott Meslow, The Verge, 19 Jan. 2026
Yet the five-part series, named after Fitzgerald’s club, is more heartening than dour.
—Benjamin Cannon, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025
What's particularly heartening is the number of Republican voters calling for such protections.
—Michael Kleinman, Time, 22 Nov. 2025
Despite public gloom over a largely dysfunctional government, voters achieved a few heartening results.
—The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Nov. 2025
None of the Broncos’ offensive ranks — 19th in yards per play, 15th in yards per game, 21st in points per game — are particularly heartening.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 17 Oct. 2025
Matthew Heimer, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026
The fact that our national media has become increasingly focused on this side of the story is heartening.
—Kevin A. Sabet, STAT, 1 Apr. 2026
But representation, particularly these days, can be a radical act, and there’s something heartening at the sight of the Kim family enjoying their turn in the mainstream spotlight.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
Pisces February 19 – March 20 Naming your options can be heartening today.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2026
February 19 – March 20 Naming your options can be heartening today.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 12 Mar. 2026
Its diagnosis is accurate and plans for a $12 billion dollar strategic stockpile heartening.
—Markos Kounalakis, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
And that's been really heartening to me.
—Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
Even at a plateau, the trajectory of the rodent numbers is heartening, said the state’s department of Game and Fish, especially given that the past year has been a dry one for Arizona’s Sky Island habitats, where the squirrels reside.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 31 Dec. 2025
Adjective
Cameras captured the heartening sight on the podium of Peter Bonnington, Hamilton’s former race engineer who now looks after Antonelli, standing in the middle of the two drivers.
—Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
The arc of a wrongful-conviction story bends toward exoneration and release—a flawed but heartening correction of past wrongs.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
That has not been a heartening process.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2026
The most heartening thing about this deeply disturbing moment is seeing how consistently and forcefully Minnesotans of all demographics have been pushing back.
—Scott Meslow, The Verge, 19 Jan. 2026
Yet the five-part series, named after Fitzgerald’s club, is more heartening than dour.
—Benjamin Cannon, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025
What's particularly heartening is the number of Republican voters calling for such protections.
—Michael Kleinman, Time, 22 Nov. 2025
Despite public gloom over a largely dysfunctional government, voters achieved a few heartening results.
—The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Nov. 2025
None of the Broncos’ offensive ranks — 19th in yards per play, 15th in yards per game, 21st in points per game — are particularly heartening.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
That’s fascinating and in some ways heartening to a newbie.
—Matthew Heimer, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026
The fact that our national media has become increasingly focused on this side of the story is heartening.
—Kevin A. Sabet, STAT, 1 Apr. 2026
But representation, particularly these days, can be a radical act, and there’s something heartening at the sight of the Kim family enjoying their turn in the mainstream spotlight.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
Pisces February 19 – March 20 Naming your options can be heartening today.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2026
February 19 – March 20 Naming your options can be heartening today.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 12 Mar. 2026
Its diagnosis is accurate and plans for a $12 billion dollar strategic stockpile heartening.
—Markos Kounalakis, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
And that's been really heartening to me.
—Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
Even at a plateau, the trajectory of the rodent numbers is heartening, said the state’s department of Game and Fish, especially given that the past year has been a dry one for Arizona’s Sky Island habitats, where the squirrels reside.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 31 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartening
Adjective
-
His breakout has been among the most promising signs for the Twins.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
9 May 2026
-
Again, one expected of an assured athlete anticipating a promising NBA career.—
Jason Jones,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
One encouraging exchange today could shift both your confidence and the scale of what feels possible.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
10 May 2026
-
Still, the comedian delivered some encouraging news amid the difficult recovery.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
If a member school’s athletic department desperately needs a line of credit, the university can arrange a more favorable one.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 May 2026
-
Surfers competed in the finals of their respective classes, again in less-than-favorable conditions.—
Tony Le Calvez,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
In addition to inspiring TNT, the MGM deal gave Turner a few other ideas.—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
7 May 2026
-
That feeling of being seen and understood stayed with her, ultimately inspiring Henson to commit to a career as a nurse and to offer the same reassurance to her own patients.—
Nancy Badertscher,
AJC.com,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
The food is rustic and cosmopolitan at once — bright, monumental salads, whole carrots and leeks baptized by fire, skeins of pasta, and Parmigiano snowing down — but the secret is the seeming effortlessness.—
Ligaya Mishan,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
Eventually, Delta switched the shuttle to one of the main terminals, and in 2021 Spirit moved into the Marine Air Terminal, bringing its bright-yellow livery and ultra-discount business model with it.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
For Chamberlain, paintings—and paint itself—are nostalgic and comforting.—
Anna Grace Lee,
Vogue,
4 May 2026
-
The food was exactly the same—the menu is a fresh and creative take on regional flavors, yet still approachable and comforting.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 May 2026
Adjective
-
The most hopeful is that the bilateral model proves nimbler than critics expect.—
Jesse Pines,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
-
A lot of the coverage of Magyar’s election, including my own, treated his victory as a hopeful harbinger, not only for Hungary but for the world.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
Despite the temple's optimistic outlook, the move has drawn criticism online.—
Brittany Miller,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
-
Some observers are less optimistic about a deal in the near term, however.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heartening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartening. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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