encourage

Main Entry:
foster [faw-ster, fos-ter]
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: promote, support
Synonyms: advance, back, champion, cherish, cultivate, encourage, feed, foment, forward, further, harbor, nurse, nurture, serve, stimulate, uphold
Antonyms: condemn, discourage
Main Entry: goad
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: egg on, incite
Synonyms: animate, annoy, arouse, bully, coerce, drive, encourage, excite, exhort, fire up, force, goose, harass, hound, impel, inspirit, instigate, irritate, key up, lash, move, needle, press, prick*, prod, prompt, propel, provoke, push, put up to, rowel, sic, sound, spark*, spur, stimulate, sting*, tease, thrust, trigger, turn on, urge, whip*, work up, worry
Antonyms: discourage, dissuade
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, inspirit, rally, reassure, revivify, rouse, steel, stimulate, stir, strengthen
Antonyms: bring down, depress, discourage, dishearten
Main Entry: help
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: aid, assist
Synonyms: abet, accommodate, advocate, back, ballyhoo, be of use, befriend, benefit, bolster, boost, buck up, cheer, cooperate, do a favor, do a service, do one's part, encourage, endorse, further, go to bat for, go with, hype*, intercede, lend a hand, maintain, open doors, patronize, plug*, promote, prop, puff, push, relieve, root for, sanction, save, second, see through, serve, stand by, stick up for, stimulate, stump for, succor, support, sustain, take under one's wing, uphold, work for
Antonyms: block, check, counteract, harm, hinder, hurt, injure, obstruct, stop
Main Entry: incite
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: encourage, provoke
Synonyms: abet, activate, actuate, agitate, animate, arouse, coax, craze, drive, egg on, encourage, excite, exhort, fan the fire, foment, force, forward, further, get to, goad, impel, induce, inflame, influence, inspire, inspirit, instigate, juice*, key up, motivate, persuade, prick, promote, prompt, provoke, psych, push, put up to, raise, rouse, set, set off, solicit, spur, stimulate, stir up, talk into, taunt, trigger, urge, whip up, work up
Notes: incite means to provoke or stir up while insight means clear or deep perception of a situation
Antonyms: delay, deter, discourage, prohibit
Main Entry: instigate
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: influence, provoke
Synonyms: abet, actuate, add fuel, bring about, egg on, encourage, fire up, foment, goad, hint, impel, incite, inflame, initiate, insinuate, kindle, make waves, move, needle, persuade, plan, plot, prompt, put up to, rabble-rouse, raise, rouse, scheme, set on, spur, start, steam up, stimulate, stir up, suggest, turn on, urge, whip up, work up
Antonyms: halt, prevent, stop
Main Entry: invite
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: ask to do something socially
Synonyms: allure, appeal to, attract, beg, bid, bring on, call, command, countenance, court, draw, encourage, entice, entreat, give invitation, have in, have over, include as guest, insist, inveigle, invitation, issue, lead, lure, persuade, petition, ply, pray, press, prevail on, propose, provoke, request, send invitation, solicit, suggest, summon, supplicate, tempt, toll, urge, vamp, welcome, woo
Antonyms: reject
Main Entry: lighten
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: cheer up; inspire
Synonyms: brighten, buoy up, cheer, elate, encourage, gladden, hearten, lift, perk up, revive, take a load off
Antonyms: bring down, burden, depress, upset
Main Entry: nerve
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: strengthen, hearten
Synonyms: animate, brace, cheer, embolden, encourage, enhearten, fortify, inspirit, invigorate, steel
Antonyms: discourage, dishearten, fear, weaken
More ResultsPREVIOUS|2345|NEXT
Search another word or see encourageon Dictionary |Spanish
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT