bolster

1 of 2

noun

bol·​ster ˈbōl-stər 

1

: a long pillow or cushion

2

: a structural part designed to eliminate friction or provide support or bearing (see bearing sense 5)

bolster

2 of 2

verb

bolstered; bolstering ˈbōl-st(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to support with or as if with a bolster : reinforce

lay bolstered up in bed

extra men will bolster already augmented dock details

—Stanley Levey

2

: to give a boost to

news that bolstered his spirits

bolsterer

ˈbōl-stər-ər 

noun

Synonyms

Verb

• bear
• brace
• buttress
• carry
• prop (up)
• shore (up)
• stay
• support
• sustain
• undergird
• underpin
• uphold

Examples of bolster in a Sentence

Verb

She came with me to bolster my confidence.

a convincing argument that was bolstered by the speaker's reputation

She is thinking of ways to bolster her career.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

This checkerboard bolster pillow looks like if a checkerboard souk rug and a bolster pillow had a baby, combining to a very playful, lighthearted effect. —Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 14 Mar. 2025

Skip the standards with sham and follow the Euros with the bolster or lumbar. —Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 20 Jan. 2025

Verb

This could bolster Google’s market lead in search at the expense of rival services such as Bing, DuckDuckGo, Perplexity, and even TikTok and Instagram, which are currently gaining popularity as search alternatives. —Paul Monckton, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025

Immigration typically helps grow the economy by adding new workers to the labor force who need housing, food and other taxable consumables, while also bolstering programs like Social Security. —Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old English belg bag — more at belly

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1508, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bolster

• holster
• pollster

Kids Definition

bolster

1 of 2 noun

bol·​ster ˈbōl-stər 

1

: a long pillow or cushion

2

: a structural part designed to eliminate friction or provide support

bolster

2 of 2 verb

bolstered; bolstering -st(ə-)riŋ 

: to support with or as if with a bolster

also : reinforce

came with me to bolster my spirits

bolsterer

-stər-ər 

noun

Legal Definition

bolster

transitive verb

bol·​ster

ˈbōl-stər

: to use evidence usually improperly to give weight to (evidence already introduced)