encourage
See also: encouragé
English edit
Alternative forms edit
- incourage (archaic)
Etymology edit
From Middle English encouragen, encoragen, from Anglo-Norman encoragier, from Old French encoragier. Displaced native Old English hiertan, tyhtan, and trymman.
Pronunciation edit
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ɪnˈkʌɹ.ɪd͡ʒ/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ɪnˈkʌɹ.ɪd͡ʒ/, /ɪnˈkɝ.ɪd͡ʒ/
Audio (US) (file)
- Hyphenation: en‧cour‧age
Verb edit
encourage (third-person singular simple present encourages, present participle encouraging, simple past and past participle encouraged) (transitive)
- To mentally support; to motivate, give courage, hope or spirit.
- I encouraged him during his race.
- Delia's coach encouraged her to focus on the positives.
- To spur on, strongly recommend.
- We encourage the use of bicycles in the town centre.
- We encourage you to cycle instead of taking the car.
- To foster, give help or patronage
- The royal family has always encouraged the arts in word and deed.
Synonyms edit
Antonyms edit
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
Translations edit
mentally support or motivate
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spur on, recommend
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foster, give help or patronage
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
French edit
Pronunciation edit
Audio (file)
Verb edit
encourage
- inflection of encourager: