encourage

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA ^(key): /ɪnˈkʌrɪʤ/, SAMPA: /In"kVrIdZ/
• (US) IPA ^(key): /ɪnˈkɝrɪʤ/, SAMPA: /In"k3`rIdZ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: en‧cour‧age

Verb

Plain form encourage

Third-person singular encourages

Past tense encouraged

Past participle encouraged

Present participle encouraging

1. (transitive) If you encourage someone, you make them feel that they want to, or can, do something.

   We're trying to encourage more people to give money to the hospital.

   I encouraged my son to audition for the school play.

   It will be difficult, but I'm encouraged by our success so far.

2. (transitive) If $x$ encourages $y$, $x$ makes $y$ more likely to happen.

   The water encourages the breakdown of the wood.

Synonyms

• help
• promote

Antonyms

• discourage

Related words

• encouragingly
• encouraging
• encouraged
• encouragement
• courage