Adjective: encouraging in'kur-u-jing or in'kú-ri-jing [N. Amer], in'kú-ru-jing or en'kú-ru-jing [Brit]
- Giving courage, confidence or hope
"encouraging advances in medical research"
- Furnishing support and encouragement
"the anxious child needs encouraging and accepting treatment from the teacher";
- supporting
- Inspire with confidence; give hope or courage to
"The coach encouraged the team before the big game"; "Her words encouraged him to try again"
- Help to progress or develop by actively supporting or advocating
"I am encouraging the use of computers in the classroom";
- promote, advance, boost, further
- Spur on
"His financial success encouraged him to look for a wife"
- Push for something
"The mentor encouraged her to apply for the position";
- recommend, urge, advocate
See also: exhortative, exhortatory, heartening, helpful, hopeful, hortative, hortatory, inspiriting, promotive, rallying, reassuring, supportive
Type of: advise, animate, back up, cause, enliven, exalt, get, have, induce, inspire, invigorate, make, propose, stimulate, suggest, support
Antonym: discourage, discouraging
Encyclopedia: Encourage