English Explanatory Dictionary

encourage

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To mentally support; to motivate, give courage, hope or spirit.
  2. To spur on, strongly recommend.
  3. To foster, give help or patronage.

Pronunciation

/ɪnˈkʌɹ.ɪd͡ʒ/ /ɪnˈkɝ.ɪd͡ʒ/ En-us-encourage.ogg /ɪnˈkʊ.ɹɪd͡ʒ/ /ɛn.kəˈreː.d͡ʒ/

Word forms

encourage encourages encouraging encouraged incourage

Etymology

From Middle English encouragen, encoragen, from Anglo-Norman encoragier, from Old French encoragier. Displaced native Old English hiertan, tyhtan, and trymman. By surface analysis, en- + courage.

Synonyms

bield embolden hearten abet actuate goose light a fire under send sting bring about cheer draw drive encourage egg on engender evoke excite foment goad grill ignite impel incite induce inflame instigate invoke lash motive motivate move obligate oblige push promote prompt provoke rouse set off spark off spur spur on stimulate stir stir up stoke tempt urge whet whip up exhort admonish adjure advise advocate counsel recommend suggest tip

Antonyms

discourage dishearten

Related words

courage

Derived words

disencourage encourageable encouragement encourager encouraging encouragingly overencourage reencourage
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
Back to search All on E Russian dictionary Dahl dictionary