encourage
//ɪnˈkʌɹ.ɪd͡ʒ//
Forms
- present (v1)
- encourage
- past (v2)
- encouraged
- past participle (v3)
- encouraged
- present participle
- encouraging
- 3rd person singular
- encourages
Definitions
1.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.
- The visitors we do not encourage are the many small boys who slip in unobserved and are a danger to themselves and the staff.
2.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.
3.To foster, give help or patronage.
- The royal family has always encouraged the arts in word and deed.
- In addition the Marquess built a brickworks adjacent to the colliery, and also greatly improved the harbour to encourage coastal shipping.
- 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.
Frequency
Overall
Common· #1305
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Common
- Academic
- Uncommon
- Literature
- Rare
Related words
Etymology
From Middle English encouragen, encoragen, from Anglo-Norman encoragier, from Old French encoragier.
Displaced native Old English hiertan, tyhtan, and trymman.
By surface analysis, en- + courage.