en·cour·ageAudio Help (ěn-kûr'ĭj, -kŭr'-) Pronunciation Key
tr.v.
en·cour·aged, en·cour·ag·ing, en·cour·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.]
en·cour'ag·er n.
Synonyms: 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.
1483, from O.Fr. encouragier, from en- "make, put in" + corage (see courage).
"As a general rule, Providence seldom vouchsafes to mortals any more than just that degree of encouragement which suffices to keep them at a reasonably full exertion of their powers." [Nathaniel Hawthorne]
to give support, confidence or hope to: The general tried to encourage the troops Example: You should not encourage him in his extravagance; I felt encouraged by his praise.
Arabic:
يُشَجِّع
Chinese (Simplified):
鼓励
Chinese (Traditional):
鼓勵
Czech:
povzbudit
Danish:
opmuntre
Dutch:
bemoedigen
Estonian:
julgustama
Finnish:
rohkaista
French:
encourager
German:
ermutigen
Greek:
ενθαρρύνω
Hungarian:
(fel)bátorít
Icelandic:
hvetja, telja kjark í
Indonesian:
memberi semangat
Italian:
incoraggiare
Japanese:
励ます
Korean:
용기를 북돋다
Latvian:
uzmundrināt; iedrošināt
Lithuanian:
(pa)drąsinti, paskatinti
Norwegian:
oppmuntre, sette mot i
Polish:
zachęcać, dodawać odwagi
Portuguese (Brazil):
animar
Portuguese (Portugal):
incentivar
Romanian:
a încuraja
Russian:
ободрять; поощрять
Slovak:
povzbudiť
Slovenian:
spodbujati
Spanish:
animar
Swedish:
stödja, gynna, uppmuntra
Turkish:
cesaret vermek
encourage2[inˈkaridʒ, (American) -ˈkə:-]verb
to urge (a person) to do something Example: You must encourage him to try again.
En*cour"age\ (?; 48), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Encouraged (?; 48); p. pr. & vb. n. Encouraging.] [F. encourager; pref. en- (L. in) + courage courage. See Courage.] To give courage to; to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope; to raise, or to increase, the confidence of; to animate; enhearten; to incite; to help forward; -- the opposite of discourage. David encouraged himself in the Lord. --1 Sam. xxx. 6. Syn: To embolden; inspirit; animate; enhearten; hearten; incite; cheer; urge; impel; stimulate; instigate; countenance; comfort; promote; advance; forward; strengthen.
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Audio Help [en-kur-ij, -kuhr-] Pronunciation Key 
