ENCOURAGE

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does encourage mean? 

• ENCOURAGE (verb)
  The verb ENCOURAGE has 3 senses:

1. contribute to the progress or growth of

2. inspire with confidence; give hope or courage to

3. spur on

  Familiarity information: ENCOURAGE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ENCOURAGE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they encourage    ... he / she / it encourages   
Past simple: encouraged   
Past participle: encouraged   
-ing form: encouraging   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Contribute to the progress or growth of

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

advance; boost; encourage; further; promote

Context example:

I am promoting the use of computers in the classroom

Hypernyms (to "encourage" is one way to...):

back up; support (give moral or psychological support, aid, or courage to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "encourage"):

connive at; wink at (give one's silent approval to)

foster; further (promote the growth of)

spur (incite or stimulate)

help (contribute to the furtherance of)

carry (take further or advance)

feed (support or promote)

conduce; contribute; lead (be conducive to)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

They encourage him to write the letter

Derivation:

encouragement (the act of giving hope or support to someone)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Inspire with confidence; give hope or courage to

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Hypernyms (to "encourage" is one way to...):

animate; enliven; exalt; inspire; invigorate (heighten or intensify)

Cause:

hope (be optimistic; be full of hope; have hopes)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "encourage"):

barrack; cheer; exhort; inspire; pep up; root on; urge; urge on (spur on or encourage especially by cheers and shouts)

foster; nurture (help develop, help grow)

hollo (encourage somebody by crying hollo)

cheer; embolden; hearten; recreate (give encouragement to)

draw out (make more sociable)

bring out (encourage to be less reserved)

goad; spur (give heart or courage to)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sentence example:

The good news will encourage her

Antonym:

discourage (deprive of courage or hope; take away hope from; cause to feel discouraged)

Derivation:

encouragement (the feeling of being encouraged)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Spur on

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

His financial success encouraged him to look for a wife

Hypernyms (to "encourage" is one way to...):

cause; get; have; induce; make; stimulate (cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody to INFINITIVE

Sentence example:

They encourage him to write the letter

 Context examples 

In the old days he would have smiled back, and gone further and encouraged smiling.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

It is, I am afraid, not very encouraging to his supporters, though there are one or two points in it which are suggestive.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The Professor encourages her, and whispers to me that it may be a week before we can get any good food again.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

The wolf started on toward the place from where the call surely came, then returned to him, sniffing noses and making actions as though to encourage him.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

When I came back I resolved to settle in London; to which Mr. Bates, my master, encouraged me, and by him I was recommended to several patients.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

People born in those years will find the coming year one that will be friendly and encouraging.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

As I had long forborne to encourage him with hopes that hung on threads, I made no other comment on this information than that I supposed he would see her soon.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

The following spring he was seen again in town, found equally agreeable, again encouraged, invited, and expected, and again he did not come; and the next tidings were that he was married.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

Their tempers were mild, but their principles were steady, and while his parent so expressly forbade the connection, they could not allow themselves to encourage it.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

Everything was said that could encourage, every encouragement received with grateful joy, and the gentlemen parted the best of friends.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)