encourage
American Heritage Dictionary:
Top
en·cour·age
(ĕn-kûr'ĭj, -kŭr'-) 
tr.v., -aged, -ag·ing, -ag·es.
tr.v., -aged, -ag·ing, -ag·es.
- To inspire with hope, courage, or confidence; hearten.
- To give support to; foster: policies designed to encourage private investment.
- To stimulate; spur: burning the field to encourage new plant growth.
[Middle English encouragen, from Old French encoragier : en-, causative pref.; see en-1 + corage, courage; see courage.]
encourager en·cour'ag·er n.SYNONYMS encourage, animate, cheer, embolden, hearten, inspirit. These verbs mean to impart courage, inspiration, and resolution to: encouraged the athlete to compete; played music to animate the crowd; a visitor cheering the patient; was emboldened to sing for the guests; praise that heartened us; a pep talk that inspirited the weary team.
ANTONYM discourage
Roget's Thesaurus:
Top
encourage
verb
- To impart courage, inspiration, and resolution to: animate, cheer (on), embolden, inspire, inspirit, motivate. See help/harm/harmless.
- To impart strength and confidence to: buck up, cheer (up), hearten, nerve, perk up. See help/harm/harmless.
- To lend supportive approval to: countenance, favor, smile on (or upon). See support/oppose.
- To help bring about: feed, foster, promote. See help/harm/harmless.
Antonyms by Answers.com:
Top
encourage
v
Definition: give support; help
Antonyms: block, confuse, deter, discourage
v
Definition: stimulate spiritually
Antonyms: dampen, deject, depress, deter, discourage, dispirit, dissuade, uninspire
Word Tutor:
Top
encourage
IN BRIEF: To make feel more confident. Also: To inspire.
Since new developments are the products of a creative mind, we must therefore stimulate and encourage that type of mind in every way possible.
— George Washington Carver (1864-1943).
LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!
Sign Language Videos:
Top
encourage
as in: to motivate
sign description: Both hands make a pushing movement forward with the palms up.
sign description: Both hands make a pushing movement forward with the palms up.
Random House Word Menu:
Top
categories related to 'encourage'
- Support, Encouragement, and Agreement - encourage: (vb) inspire with courage or confidence; give assistance to
See crossword solutions for the clue Translations:
Top
Encourage
Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - opmuntre, tilskynde, fremme, bistå, befordre
Nederlands (Dutch)
aanmoedigen, bemoedigen, steunen
Français (French)
v. tr. - encourager, favoriser, flatter/encourager (de mauvaises habitudes), inciter à
Deutsch (German)
v. - ermutigen, ermuntern
Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - ενθαρρύνω, εμψυχώνω, δίνω κουράγιο, παρακινώ
Italiano (Italian)
incoraggiare, consolare
Português (Portuguese)
v. - encorajar
Русский (Russian)
ободрять, воодушевлять, поощрять
Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - estimular, fomentar, animar, alentar
Svenska (Swedish)
v. - uppmuntra, inge mod, understödja
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
鼓励, 激励, 支持
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 鼓勵, 激勵, 支援
한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 용기를 북돋우다, 촉진하다
日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 勇気づける, 励ます, 奨励する, 促進する, 元気づける
العربيه (Arabic)
(فعل) يستحث, يشجع
עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - עודד, חיזק את ידי
If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.
Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:
Copyrights:
American Heritage Dictionary
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Read more
Roget's Thesaurus
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 byHoughton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Read more
Word Tutor
Copyright © 2004-present by eSpindle Learning, a 501(c) nonprofit organization. All rights reserved.
eSpindle provides personalized spelling and vocabulary tutoring online; sign up free. Read more
eSpindle provides personalized spelling and vocabulary tutoring online; sign up free. Read more
Random House Word Menu
© 2010 Write Brothers Inc. Word Menu is a registered trademark of the Estate of Stephen Glazier.
Write Brothers Inc.
All rights reserved.
Read more
Bradford's Crossword Solver's Dictionary
Collins Bradford's Crossword Solver's Dictionary © Anne Bradford, 1986, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2008
HarperCollins Publishers
All rights reserved.
Read more
