ENCOURAGE Synonyms: 201 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'encourage' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of encourage are embolden , hearten , and inspirit . While all these words mean "to fill with courage or strength of purpose," encourage suggests the raising of one's confidence especially by an external agency. // the teacher's praise encouraged the students to greater efforts

Q: When might 'embolden' be a better fit than 'encourage'?

While the synonyms embolden and encourage are close in meaning, embolden implies the giving of courage sufficient to overcome timidity or reluctance. // emboldened by her first success, she tried an even more difficult climb

Q: When is 'hearten' a more appropriate choice than 'encourage'?

The words hearten and encourage can be used in similar contexts, but hearten implies the lifting of dispiritedness or despondency by an infusion of fresh courage or zeal. // a hospital patient heartened by good news

Q: Where would 'inspirit' be a reasonable alternative to 'encourage'?

The meanings of inspirit and encourage largely overlap; however, inspirit , somewhat literary, implies instilling life, energy, courage, or vigor into something. // patriots inspirited the people to resist

encourage

verb

in-ˈkər-ij

Definition of encourage

as in to inspire

to fill with courage or strength of purpose a pep talk that encouraged the team to get out there and win

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to promote

to help the growth or development of asserted that the government should be encouraging small businesses, not smothering them with regulations

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to provoke

to rouse to strong feeling or action the movie's cheap special effects will not encourage audiences to sit on the edge of their seats but to roll in the aisles with laughter

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to urge

to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action the pastor continues to encourage the couple to work out their problems in hopes of saving their marriage

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb encourage differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of encourage are embolden, hearten, and inspirit. While all these words mean "to fill with courage or strength of purpose," encourage suggests the raising of one's confidence especially by an external agency.

the teacher's praise encouraged the students to greater efforts

When might embolden be a better fit than encourage?

While the synonyms embolden and encourage are close in meaning, embolden implies the giving of courage sufficient to overcome timidity or reluctance.

emboldened by her first success, she tried an even more difficult climb

When is hearten a more appropriate choice than encourage?

The words hearten and encourage can be used in similar contexts, but hearten implies the lifting of dispiritedness or despondency by an infusion of fresh courage or zeal.

a hospital patient heartened by good news

Where would inspirit be a reasonable alternative to encourage?

The meanings of inspirit and encourage largely overlap; however, inspirit, somewhat literary, implies instilling life, energy, courage, or vigor into something.

patriots inspirited the people to resist

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of encourage Jordan says a recent guideline change encourages doctors to diagnose and treat sooner based on symptoms. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 14 Oct. 2026 For Bourne, newspapers, besides giving information, encourage an acceptance of non-parochial views. — Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026 Misfolded tau can also recruit other healthy tau proteins, encouraging them to adopt the same abnormal shape, accumulating as knotted threads known as fibrillar aggregates. — Mike McRae 13, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026 DuBose told me that some women appeared to receive early investment returns, which encouraged them to invest more. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for encourage

Recent Examples of Synonyms for encourage

Verb

All inspired by Rise & Fall’s signature knitwear and outerwear, the designs recast the language of clothing in sculptural forms, bringing together the softness of textiles and the presence of jewelry.

— Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
We were inspired from how many great discoveries that went on to revolutionize science and medicine came about from looking around in nature and finding these odd things—PCR [polymerase chain reaction] tests, for example, or CRISPR.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of inspire

Verb

Both those historic actions happened as part of the Biden administration's focus on anti-money laundering and efforts to promote compliance with the then-emerging virtual currency industry.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
One of Mitte’s last posts on Instagram this week promoted those showings.

— Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of promote

Verb

The same principle applies to debates about religion, economics and virtually any subject capable of provoking strong emotions.

— Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026
Fortunately, the fake tip didn’t provoke any further actions from the PPD, and was reportedly flagged as spam after being picked up by its safeguards.

— Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of provoke

Verb

Vance speaks with the manipulative skill of a politician who has cultivated a rapid-fire style designed not to persuade, but to overwhelm.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
The challenge is not racing to construct a synthetic copy but cultivating the capacity to recognize, interface with and leverage what has been present all along.

— Pravir Malik, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of cultivate

Verb

The reason progestogen is recommended in women with a uterus is because estrogen can stimulate growth of the uterine lining and increase the risk of endometrial cancer.

— Shannon Firth, NPR, 16 Oct. 2026
The glasses project light onto 378 pixels in the implant, which converts those light patterns into an electrical current that stimulates the retina’s bipolar cells.

— Erica Sweeney, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of stimulate

Verb

The Verdict Sporting a more polished look than its contemporaries, Panasonic’s Japanese microwave is a nice gateway to nudge your kitchen toward more upscale design.

— Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 16 Oct. 2026
And then there were miles of acute awareness, each step nudging the vanishingly thin line between pain and pleasure.

— Talia Abbas, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of nudge

Verb

The University of Miami has benefited from their second-year head coach’s fresh approach, which has seemingly fostered an adaptable atmosphere and innovative mind.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
Schmit has written about the role of state policy in fostering health information exchange and its benefits to the public, such as tracking measles outbreaks.

— Alex Rosenblat — CalMatters, STAT, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of foster

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encourage

encouraged

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“Encourage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encourage. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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