| Main Entry: | |
| 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 |