heartens

verb

present tense third-person singular of hearten
as in inspires
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartens
  1. inspires
  2. encourages
Verb
  • Leslie, who led the Sparks to two WNBA championships, hopes her statue inspires young girls pursue their basketball dreams.
    — Jordan Puente, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The promise of coffee inspires many of us to get out of bed in the morning.
    — Marie Bladt, Vogue, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of inspires
Verb
  • Jainism therefore strongly encourages ahimsa toward all living beings, from animals to microbes, and vegetarianism is the norm.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Dumped into waterways, whey encourages bacterial and algal growth that depletes oxygen and can damage aquatic ecosystems.
    — Edward D. Melillo, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of encourages
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.

Browse Nearby Words

heartening
heartens
heartfelt
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Heartens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartens. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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