Meanings
plural encouragements · alternative incouragement
- countableuncountableThe act of encouraging
- countableuncountableSomething that incites, supports, promotes, protects or advances; incentive
The train was handed over 21 min. late at Salisbury, so there was every encouragement to Driver Moore, of Salisbury, to "get a move on."
1951 August, Cecil J. Allen, “British Locomotive Practice and Performsnce”, in Railway Magazine, page 5541 more example
even their arch-enemy the gamekeeper is beginning reluctantly, but gradually, to acquiesce in the general belief of their innocence and utility, I cannot help indulging the hope that this bird will eventually meet with that general encouragement and protection to which its eminent services so richly entitle it.
1904, Edward Verrall Lucas, chapter 2, in Highways and Byways in Sussex - countableuncountableWords or actions that increase someone's confidence
If I live, an' please your honour, but once to get through it, I will never tell it again, quoth Trim, either to man, woman, or child--Poo--poo! said my uncle Toby--but with accents of such sweet encouragement did he utter it, that the corporal went on with his story with more alacrity than ever.
1776, Laurence Sterne, chapter 4, in Tristram Shandy1 more example
7 January 2017', Adharanand Finn writing in The Guardian, The 24-hour race: 'It is a battle with your mind Diana Celeiro has come all the way from Argentina for the race. It’s her second time here. Her husband, Gustavo, acts as her support crew. Most of the runners have someone who stands diligently by the track watching, offering encouragement, preparing snacks or helping with any issues that arise, from blisters to emotional breakdowns.
- countableuncountableThe feeling of being encouraged
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Frenchencoragement
- Middle Frenchencoragement
- Englishencouragement
Borrowed from Middle French encoragement.
More words from Middle French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek παραμυθία, παραμυθία
- παραμυθία (paramuthía)the act of encouraging
- παραμυθία (paramuthía)that which serves to incite, support, promote or advance, as favor, countenance, reward etc.
Bengali উদ্দীপনা, উদ্দীপনা
- উদ্দীপনা (uddipona)the act of encouraging
- উদ্দীপনা (uddipona)that which serves to incite, support, promote or advance, as favor, countenance, reward etc.
Bulgarian поощрение, поощрение
- поощрение (pooštrenie)the act of encouraging
- поощрение (pooštrenie)that which serves to incite, support, promote or advance, as favor, countenance, reward etc.
Chinese Mandarin 鼓勵 /鼓励, 獎勵 /奖励
- 鼓勵 /鼓励 (gǔlì)the act of encouraging
- 獎勵 /奖励 (jiǎnglì)that which serves to incite, support, promote or advance, as favor, countenance, reward etc.
Czech povzbuzení
- povzbuzeníthe act of encouraging
Danish opmuntring, tilskyndelse
- opmuntringthe act of encouraging
- tilskyndelsethat which serves to incite, support, promote or advance, as favor, countenance, reward etc.
Dutch aanmoediging, aanmoediging
- aanmoedigingthe act of encouraging
- aanmoedigingthat which serves to incite, support, promote or advance, as favor, countenance, reward etc.
- bemoedigingthat which serves to incite, support, promote or advance, as favor, countenance, reward etc.
Esperanto akcelo, kuraĝigo
- akcelothe act of encouraging
- kuraĝigothat which serves to incite, support, promote or advance, as favor, countenance, reward etc.
Finnish rohkaisu, rohkaisu
- rohkaisuthe act of encouraging
- rohkaisuthat which serves to incite, support, promote or advance, as favor, countenance, reward etc.
French encouragement, encouragement
- encouragementthe act of encouraging
- encouragementthat which serves to incite, support, promote or advance, as favor, countenance, reward etc.
German Ermutigung
- Ermutigungthe act of encouraging
Greek ενθάρρυνση, παρότρυνση
- ενθάρρυνση (enthárrynsi)the act of encouraging
- παρότρυνση (parótrynsi)that which serves to incite, support, promote or advance, as favor, countenance, reward etc.
- προτροπή (protropí)that which serves to incite, support, promote or advance, as favor, countenance, reward etc.
- παρακίνηση (parakínisi)that which serves to incite, support, promote or advance, as favor, countenance, reward etc.
Hindi प्रोत्साहन
- प्रोत्साहन (protsāhan)the act of encouraging
Hungarian bátorítás, támogatás
- bátorításthe act of encouraging
- támogatásthat which serves to incite, support, promote or advance, as favor, countenance, reward etc.
- pártolásthat which serves to incite, support, promote or advance, as favor, countenance, reward etc.
Irish spreagadh
- spreagadhthat which serves to incite, support, promote or advance, as favor, countenance, reward etc.
Italian incoraggiamento, incoraggiamento
- incoraggiamentothe act of encouraging
- incoraggiamentothat which serves to incite, support, promote or advance, as favor, countenance, reward etc.
Japanese 激励, 奨励
- 激励 (gekirei)the act of encouraging
- 奨励 (shōrei)that which serves to incite, support, promote or advance, as favor, countenance, reward etc.
Korean 격려
- 격려 (gyeongnyeo)the act of encouraging
Latin exhortātiō, lux
- exhortātiōthe act of encouraging
- luxthe act of encouraging
Norwegian Bokmål oppmuntring, oppmuntring
- oppmuntringthe act of encouraging
- oppmuntringthat which serves to incite, support, promote or advance, as favor, countenance, reward etc.
Polish zachęcanie
- zachęcaniethe act of encouraging
Portuguese encorajamento, estimulação
- encorajamentothe act of encouraging
- estimulaçãothe act of encouraging
- encorajamentothat which serves to incite, support, promote or advance, as favor, countenance, reward etc.
- estímulothat which serves to incite, support, promote or advance, as favor, countenance, reward etc.
Romanian încurajare, încurajare
- încurajarethe act of encouraging
- încurajarethat which serves to incite, support, promote or advance, as favor, countenance, reward etc.
- stimularethat which serves to incite, support, promote or advance, as favor, countenance, reward etc.
Russian ободре́ние, поощре́ние
- ободре́ние (obodrénije)the act of encouraging
- поощре́ние (pooščrénije)the act of encouraging
- поощре́ние (pooščrénije)that which serves to incite, support, promote or advance, as favor, countenance, reward etc.
Spanish apoyo, aliento
- apoyothat which serves to incite, support, promote or advance, as favor, countenance, reward etc.
- alientothat which serves to incite, support, promote or advance, as favor, countenance, reward etc.
- hálitothat which serves to incite, support, promote or advance, as favor, countenance, reward etc.
- fomentothat which serves to incite, support, promote or advance, as favor, countenance, reward etc.
Swedish uppmuntran
- uppmuntranthe act of encouraging
Ukrainian підбадьо́рення, заохо́чення
- підбадьо́рення (pidbadʹórennja)the act of encouraging
- заохо́чення (zaoxóčennja)the act of encouraging
Cite this entry
encouragement. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/encouragement
“encouragement.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/encouragement. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “encouragement,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/encouragement.
Source: encouragement on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.