encourage
See also: encouragé
English
editAlternative forms
editEtymology
editFrom 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/
- Hyphenation: en‧cour‧age
Verb
editencourage (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.
- 1987 December 20, Tim Scaggs, “No Other Choice But To Go On A Hunger Strike”, in Gay Community News, volume 15, number 23, page 5:
- They remove all sense of self-responsibility from us prisoners. We have virtually no control over any aspect of our lives. This does not encourage our ability to return to community life outside.
Synonyms
editAntonyms
editDerived terms
editRelated terms
editTranslations
editmentally support or motivate
|
spur on, recommend
|
foster, give help or patronage
|
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
French
editPronunciation
editAudio: (file)
Verb
editencourage
- inflection of encourager:
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Anglo-Norman
- English terms derived from Old French
- English 3-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English lemmas
- English verbs
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with quotations
- English reporting verbs
- French terms with audio links
- French non-lemma forms
- French verb forms