encourage

• incourage (archaic)

From Middle English encouragen, encoragen, from Anglo-Norman encoragier, from Old French encoragier. Displaced native Old English hiertan, tyhtan, and trymman.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈkʌɹ.ɪd͡ʒ/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈkʌɹ.ɪd͡ʒ/, /ɪnˈkɝ.ɪd͡ʒ/

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• Hyphenation: en‧cour‧age

encourage (third-person singular simple present encourages, present participle encouraging, simple past and past participle encouraged) (transitive)

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.

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.

• bield
• embolden

• discourage

• encouragement
• encourager
• encouraging
• encouragingly

• courage

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encourage

1. inflection of encourager:
   1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
   2. singular imperative