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encourage - 20 thesaurus results
| Main Entry: | encourage |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | stimulate spiritually |
| Synonyms: | animate, applaud, boost, brighten, buck up*, buoy, cheer, cheer up, comfort, console, embolden, energize, enliven, excite, exhilarate, fortify, galvanize, gladden, goad, hearten, incite, inspire, instigate, praise, prick, push, rally, reassure, refresh, restore, rouse, spur, steel, stir, strengthen, sway, enhearten, give shot in arm, inspirit, prop up, psych up, revitalize, revivify |
| Antonyms: | dampen, deject, depress, deter, discourage, dissuade, dispirit, uninspire |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | encourage |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | give support; help |
| Synonyms: | abet, advance, advocate, aid, approve, assist, back, back up, befriend, bolster, boost, brace, comfort, console, countenance, develop, ease, egg on*, endorse, favor, fortify, forward, foster, further, go for*, improve, instigate, invite, pat on the back, prevail, promote, push, reassure, reinforce, relieve, sanction, second, serve, solace, spur, strengthen, subsidize, succor, support, sustain, uphold, get behind, give a leg up, pull for, root for, side with*, smile upon, subscribe to |
| Antonyms: | block, confuse, deter, discourage |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | abet |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | assist, help in wrongdoing |
| Synonyms: | advocate, back, condone, egg on*, encourage, endorse, goad, incite, instigate, prod, promote, provoke, sanction, spur, support, urge |
| Antonyms: | counter, deter, discourage, frustrate, hinder, hurt, impede, obstruct, resist |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | advocate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | support idea or cause publicly |
| Synonyms: | advance, advise, back, bless, bolster, boost*, build up, champion, countenance, defend, encourage, favor, further, go for, go to bat for*, justify, plug*, promote, propose, push, recommend, side, support, tout, uphold, urge, vindicate, argue for, be in corner, brace up, campaign for, get on bandwagon, give a leg up, give a lift, go with, hold with, plead for, plump for*, press for, ride shotgun for, root for, run interference for, say so, speak for, spread around, stump for |
| Antonyms: | assail, attack, criticize, impugn, oppose, protest |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | aid |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | help, support |
| Synonyms: | abet, alleviate, assist, bail out, befriend, encourage, favor, go to bat for*, lighten, mitigate, promote, relieve, serve, subsidize, sustain, benefact, go with*, lend a hand, open doors for, stick up for, straighten out* |
| Notes: | aid is assistance or a source of assistance; aide is an assistant |
| Antonyms: | block, hinder, hurt, impede, injure, obstruct |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | animate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | bring to life |
| Synonyms: | activate, arouse, cheer, embolden, encourage, energize, enliven, exalt, excite, fire, gladden, hearten, impel, incite, inform, inspire, instigate, invigorate, kindle, move, quicken, revive, rouse, spark, spur, stimulate, stir, urge, vivify, inspirit, liven, make alive, revivify, vitalize |
| Antonyms: | deaden, discourage, kill |
| Main Entry: | applaud |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | clap for; express approval |
| Synonyms: | acclaim, approve, boost, cheer, commend, compliment, encourage, eulogize, extol, glorify, hail, laud, magnify, plug, praise, rave, recommend, root*, give a hand, give ovation, hear it for, kudize |
| Antonyms: | keep silent |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | befriend |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make social acquaintance; support |
| Synonyms: | advise, aid, assist, back, benefit, buddy up, case out, come on to, cotton to, encourage, favor, get chummy with, get in with, help, hit it off*, patronize, side with, stand by, sustain, take under one's wing, take up with, uphold, welcome |
| Antonyms: | ignore, neglect |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | buoy (up) |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make light, encourage |
| Synonyms: | bolster, boost, buck up, cheer, cheer up, encourage, hearten, lift, prop, raise, support, sustain, uphold, keep afloat |
| Antonyms: | bring down, depress |
| Main Entry: | cherish |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | care about deeply |
| Synonyms: | admire, adore, appreciate, clasp, coddle, comfort, cosset, cultivate, defend, dote on, embrace, encourage, enshrine, entertain, fancy, fondle, foster, guard, harbor, honor, hug, idolize, like, love, nourish, nurse, nurture, pet, preserve, prize, revere, reverence, safeguard, shelter, shield, support, sustain, treasure, value, venerate, worship, apprize, care for, cleave to, cling to, hold dear, hold in high esteem |
| Antonyms: | abandon, denounce, forsake, renounce, not care |
| Main Entry: | comfort |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make to feel better |
| Synonyms: | abate, aid, allay, alleviate, ameliorate, assist, assuage, bolster, buck up*, calm, cheer, compose, condole, confirm, console, delight, divert, ease, encourage, enliven, free, gladden, hearten, help, invigorate, mitigate, nourish, reassure, refresh, relieve, remedy, revive, salve, soften, solace, soothe, strengthen, stroke, succor, support, sustain, sympathize, uphold, commiserate with, grant respite, inspirit, lighten burden, make well, put at ease, quiet fears, reanimate, revitalize, upraise |
| Antonyms: | aggravate, annoy, bother, distress, exasperate, hurt, irritate, provoke, torment, torture, trouble, vex |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | console |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | relieve, comfort |
| Synonyms: | animate, assuage, buck up*, calm, cheer, encourage, gladden, lift, solace, soothe, tranquilize, condole with, express sympathy, inspirit, untrouble, upraise |
| Antonyms: | agitate, annoy, antagonize, depress, discourage, disturb, hurt, sadden, trouble, upset, dispirit |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | countenance |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | approve, support |
| Synonyms: | abet, accept, advocate, aid, applaud, back, bear with, champion, commend, condone, confirm, cope, encourage, endorse, favor, go for, handle, help, invite, okay*, sanction, stand for, swallow*, thumbs up*, uphold, approbate, get behind, give green light, give stamp of approval, give the nod, go along with, grin and bear it, hold with, live with, nod at, put John Hancock on, put up with, sign off on, sit still for, smile on*, stomach something |
| Antonyms: | deny, disagree, disapprove, discourage, fight, oppose, refuse |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | egg on |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | push to do something |
| Synonyms: | agitate, arouse, drive, encourage, excite, exhort, goad, incite, instigate, pique, prick, prod, prompt, propel, rally, spur, stimulate, urge, whip up, sic, stir up |
| Antonyms: | discourage, dissuade, hold back, talk out of |
| Main Entry: | exhort |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | urge, warn |
| Synonyms: | admonish, advise, beseech, bid, caution, counsel, egg on*, encourage, enjoin, entreat, goad, incite, insist, persuade, plead, preach, press, pressure, prick, prod, prompt, propel, spur, stimulate, call upon |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | feed |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | give nourishment; augment |
| Synonyms: | banquet, bolster, cater, cram, deliver, dine, dish out*, dispense, encourage, fatten, feast, fill, find, foster, fuel, furnish, give, gorge, hand, hand over, maintain, minister, nourish, nurse, nurture, provide, provision, regale, satisfy, stock, strengthen, stuff, supply, support, sustain, wine and dine*, victual |
| Antonyms: | starve |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | foment |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | instigate, provoke |
| Synonyms: | abet, agitate, arouse, brew, cultivate, encourage, excite, foster, goad, incite, nurse, nurture, promote, quicken, raise, set, spur, start, stimulate, whip up*, fan the flames, set on, sow the seeds, stir up |
| Antonyms: | cease, dampen, discourage, dissuade, stop |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | further |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | advance, lend support |
| Synonyms: | aid, assist, back up, bail out*, ballyhoo*, champion, contribute, encourage, engender, expedite, facilitate, forward, foster, generate, hasten, help, patronize, plug, promote, propagate, push, serve, speed, succor, give a boost to, go with, lend a hand, open doors, take care of, work for |
| Antonyms: | block, cease, check, curtail, delay, frustrate, halt, hinder, impede, obstruct, prevent, protest, stop |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | goad |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | egg on, incite |
| Synonyms: | animate, annoy, arouse, bully, coerce, drive, encourage, excite, exhort, force, harass, hound, impel, instigate, irritate, lash, move, needle*, press, prick*, prod, prompt, propel, provoke, push, sound, spark*, spur, stimulate, sting*, tease, thrust, trigger, turn on*, urge, whip*, work up, worry, fire up, goose*, inspirit, key up, put up to, rowel, sic |
| Antonyms: | discourage, dissuade |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | hearten |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | raise someone's spirits |
| Synonyms: | animate, arouse, assure, buck up, buoy, cheer, comfort, console, embolden, encourage, energize, enliven, incite, inspire, rally, reassure, rouse, steel, stimulate, stir, strengthen, inspirit, revivify |
| Antonyms: | bring down, depress, discourage, dishearten |
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2009 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2009 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2009, Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
