encourage

Meaning

Verb

• To mentally support; to motivate, give courage, hope or spirit.
• To spur on, strongly recommend.
• To foster, give help or patronage

Related

Similar words

• bield
• embolden

Opposite words

• becourage
• discourage

Origin

• From Middle English encouragen, encoragen, from Anglo-Norman encoragier, from Old French encoragier. Displaced native Middle English belden ("to encourage") (from Old English bieldan ("to encourage")), Middle English bealden ("to encourage") (from Old English bealdian ("to encourage, make bold")), Middle English herten ("to encourage, enhearten") (from Old English hiertan ("to enhearten")), Old English elnian ("to encourage, strengthen").