Synonyms of heartening

heartening 1 of 2

adjective

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

• promising
• bright
• optimistic
• encouraging
• hopeful
• likely
• upbeat
• reassuring
• propitious
• fair
• rosy
• auspicious
• positive
• golden
• comforting
• good
• favorable
• roseate
• doubtless
• sure
• soothing
• confident
• cheering
• rose-colored
• decisive
• assured
• bullish
• unhesitating
• beamish
• eupeptic

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unlikely
• discouraging
• disheartening
• depressing
• desperate
• dark
• bleak
• dismal
• pessimistic
• hopeless
• gloomy
• dreary
• unpromising
• inauspicious
• uncertain
• doubtful
• cheerless
• negative
• downbeat
• unpropitious
• dubious
• grim
• comfortless
• unfavorable
• unencouraging
• gray
• bearish
• miserable
• glum
• funereal
• wretched

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

• encouraging
• comforting
• gratifying
• rewarding
• fulfilling
• satisfying
• loving
• warm
• heartwarming
• welcoming
• inspiring
• gladdening
• cheering
• uplifting
• moving
• poignant
• pleasing
• exciting
• touching
• sympathetic
• affecting
• kind
• inspiriting
• edifying
• thrilling
• stirring
• elevating
• exhilarating
• rousing
• kindly
• stimulating
• invigorating
• enlivening
• pleasurable
• animating
• tender

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• disheartening
• discouraging
• depressing
• dispiriting
• demoralizing
• disappointing
• saddening
• heartbreaking
• disconcerting
• dismaying
• heartrending
• disturbing
• cheerless
• displeasing
• distressing
• dissatisfying
• upsetting
• discomforting
• unpleasant
• unkind
• cold
• disgruntling
• unfriendly
• unfeeling
• unloving

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

• encouraging
• promising
• favorable
• hopeful
• bright
• happy
• golden
• lucky
• propitious
• fortunate
• auspicious
• beneficial
• profitable
• advantageous
• salutary
• fortuitous
• prosperous
• providential

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• discouraging
• disheartening
• unfavorable
• hopeless
• dim
• unfortunate
• unpromising
• unpropitious
• inauspicious
• unhappy
• unlucky
• fatal
• disastrous
• catastrophic
• futureless
• ruinous
• calamitous
• dark
• ominous
• threatening
• sinister
• ill
• dire
• gloomy
• menacing
• portentous
• foreboding
• baleful
• direful
• minatory
• ill-boding
• doomy

heartening

2 of 2

verb

present participle of hearten

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

• encouraging
• inspiring
• inspiriting
• emboldening
• reassuring
• reinforcing
• cheering (up)
• bearing up
• invigorating
• stimulating
• enlivening
• steeling
• buoying (up)
• exciting
• provoking
• chirking (up)
• enforcing
• animating
• bucking up
• assuring
• stirring
• rallying
• energizing
• strengthening
• galvanizing
• fortifying
• quickening
• boosting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• discouraging
• disheartening
• daunting
• depressing
• undermining
• demoralizing
• dispiriting
• weakening
• saddening
• debilitating
• intimidating
• hamstringing
• enfeebling
• psyching (out)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of heartening

Adjective

The range of stories and voices was staggering — and a heartening sign for anyone who believes that the future of African cinema is now. — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026

There’s a heartening respect for the intelligence of the audience in this pocket of the media. — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026

Nvidia's presence in the top 10 performers is especially heartening, considering the leading maker of AI chips has been in a frustrating position all year long . — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026

That formula worked for Amazon MGM’s sci-fi dramedy Project Hail Mary earlier this year, another heartening success that was billed as a visual spectacle filmed specifically for IMAX. — David Sims, The Atlantic, 23 July 2026

Meanwhile, there’s more direct heartening news for beach areas in San Diego and across the state. — Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 July 2026

The Gentlemen’s Club, for all its odd and difficult convulsions, is a heartening step in a positive direction. — Mosi Reeves, VIBE.com, 22 June 2026

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

That has not been a heartening process. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2026

Verb

That outcome has to be heartening for pollsters, an often-beleaguered and much-criticized cohort. — W Joseph Campbell, The Conversation, 4 Nov. 2026

It’s been heartening to see conservative and religious leaders join Democrats to speak out against Hegseth’s proposal. — Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 12 Oct. 2026

And so, it's been heartening to see already some efforts by people like Senator Sanders, Congressman Jayapal, Congressman Casar, to start thinking seriously about what that could look like here. — ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026

While much of Funny Money is tragic, the doc also presents some heartening family moments and interesting insights into your career. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026

Library funding survives, narrowly The night proved to be heartening for local library lovers. — Noah Daly august 20, Idaho Statesman, 20 Aug. 2026

At a time when drama has come to depend on celebrity leads and commercial hype, this bounty of understated excellence is heartening. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

What’s oddly heartening is the realization that Anderson doesn’t have all the answers. — Diane Brady, Fortune, 22 June 2026

All of the art is heartening—and very much at home. — Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 18 June 2026