encourage

English Online Dictionary. What means encourage‎? What does encourage mean?

English

Alternative forms

• incourage (archaic)

Etymology

From Middle English encouragen, encoragen, from Anglo-Norman encoragier, from Old French encoragier. Displaced native Old English hiertan, tyhtan, and trymman.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈkʌɹ.ɪd͡ʒ/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈkʌɹ.ɪd͡ʒ/, /ɪnˈkɝ.ɪd͡ʒ/
• Hyphenation: en‧cour‧age

Verb

encourage (third-person singular simple present encourages, present participle encouraging, simple past and past participle encouraged) (transitive)

1. To mentally support; to motivate, give courage, hope or spirit.

   Synonyms: bield, embolden; see also Thesaurus:incite

   Antonyms: discourage, dishearten
2. To spur on, strongly recommend.

   Synonyms: exhort; see also Thesaurus:advise

3. To foster, give help or patronage.

   Synonyms: promote; see also Thesaurus:nurture

Derived terms

Related terms

• courage

Translations

French

Pronunciation

Verb

encourage

1. inflection of encourager:
   1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
   2. singular imperative