HEARTENING Synonyms: 176 Similar and Opposite Words

heartening 1 of 2

adjective

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 heartening

Adjective

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 The arc of a wrongful-conviction story bends toward exoneration and release—a flawed but heartening correction of past wrongs. — Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026 That has not been a heartening process. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2026 The most heartening thing about this deeply disturbing moment is seeing how consistently and forcefully Minnesotans of all demographics have been pushing back. — Scott Meslow, The Verge, 19 Jan. 2026

Verb

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 All of the art is heartening—and very much at home. — Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 18 June 2026 Cases where animals win are always heartening, especially when the animal happens to be the Ukraine’s national bird. — David Hambling, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026 Still, the current legislative progress in California has to be heartening for the Stop Killing Games movement, which has seen its momentum in the UK stall a bit after a UK Parliament debate on game preservation last November. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026 That’s fascinating and in some ways heartening to a newbie. — Matthew Heimer, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026 The fact that our national media has become increasingly focused on this side of the story is heartening. — Kevin A. Sabet, STAT, 1 Apr. 2026 February 19 – March 20 Naming your options can be heartening today. — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 12 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartening

Adjective

Transplants of muscle stem cells are a promising avenue for research, having distinct advantages over other tissues in their ability to encourage the growth of new blood vessels and limitations on rapid growth.

— Mike McRae September 02, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026
The goalkeeping department has probably been downgraded, considering the highly promising Trafford left, and was replaced by Geronimo Rulli, a solid backup option at 34 years of age.

— Sam Lee, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of promising

Adjective

The Seahawks are high on Stephens, a fifth-round rookie out of Iowa who had an encouraging preseason.

— Andrew Destin, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Investors welcomed some encouraging signals about demand for artificial intelligence from two big tech companies, Dell and Palo Alto Networks.

— Damian J. Troise, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of encouraging

Adjective

In addition, environmental conditions are quite favorable for intensification while Edouard remains over water.

— Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Officials, however, said favorable weather in the coming days could help in the battle to control the blazes.

— Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of favorable

Adjective

Put the cutting in a warm place with bright, indirect light, keep the soil evenly moist, and open the bag once each day to let in fresh air.

— Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 30 Aug. 2026
Mystery Men Throw it back to the Y2K era with this 1999 comedy starring a plethora of the era’s brightest comedic talents, including Ben Stiller, Kel Mitchell, Janeane Garofolo, and Paul Reubens.

— Kara Nesvig, Parents, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of bright

Adjective

Relatives of people believed trapped in a tunnel at one of several hydropower plants hit in the China-Nepal border floods on Wednesday remain hopeful of positive news.

— Bhadra Sharma, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
Lee is hopeful the team will add another player or two or three before the transfer window closes next Wednesday, but Sporting KC is past the point of turning around its season.

— Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of hopeful

Adjective

Demographic experts are cautiously optimistic about the new scheme, which appears to offer more sustained and holistic support for families.

— Angelica Ang, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
The 192-mile electric figure is reported as CLTC, which is China's relatively optimistic test cycle.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of optimistic

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Style

“Heartening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartening. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of heartening

adjective

verb

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