hearten

verb

heart·​en ˈhär-tᵊn 

heartened; heartening ˈhär-tᵊn-iŋ 

ˈhärt-niŋ

transitive verb

: to give heart to : cheer

hearteningly

ˈhär-tᵊn-iŋ-lē 

ˈhärt-niŋ-

adverb

Synonyms

• bear up
• buck up
• buoy (up)
• cheer (up)
• chirk (up)
• embolden
• encourage
• inspire
• inspirit
• steel

Choose the Right Synonym for hearten

encourage, inspirit, hearten, embolden mean to fill with courage or strength of purpose.

encourage suggests the raising of one's confidence especially by an external agency.

the teacher's praise encouraged the students to greater efforts

inspirit, somewhat literary, implies instilling life, energy, courage, or vigor into something.

patriots inspirited the people to resist

hearten implies the lifting of dispiritedness or despondency by an infusion of fresh courage or zeal.

a hospital patient heartened by good news

embolden implies the giving of courage sufficient to overcome timidity or reluctance.

emboldened by her first success, she tried an even more difficult climb

Examples of hearten in a Sentence

The team's victory has heartened its fans.

thinking we were hopelessly lost, we were heartened by the sight of a familiar farmhouse

Recent Examples on the Web

The Swept Away creators are also heartened by the release of the show’s original cast album next month and the idea that, in one form or another, the show will live on, whether through its songs or a future revival. —David Browne, Rolling Stone, 21 Jan. 2025

The British royals have celebrated Christmas at their private home in the Norfolk countryside for generations, and fans were heartened to see the tradition continue on the heels of a difficult year in which Charles and Kate were both diagnosed with cancer. —Janine Henni, People.com, 9 Jan. 2025

While Trump would no doubt attempt to reverse the decision, Biden officials are heartened by a ruling during the first Trump administration, when a federal court blocked efforts to undo Obama-era environmental regulations. —The Editors, National Review, 6 Jan. 2025

Though Durston was heartened by the sudden success of the X-Mid, there were early-era issues that were not directly related to the pandemic. —M. John Fayhee, Outside Online, 28 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1524, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

hearten

verb

heart·​en ˈhärt-ᵊn 

heartened; heartening ˈhärt-niŋ 

-ᵊn-iŋ

: to cheer up : encourage