Synonyms of hearten

hearten

verb

ˈhär-tᵊn 

as in to inspire

to fill with courage or strength of purpose

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• inspire
• encourage
• embolden
• inspirit
• reinforce
• bear up
• buoy (up)
• steel
• cheer (up)
• invigorate
• stimulate
• reassure
• enliven
• provoke
• animate
• reenforce
• assure
• strengthen
• chirk (up)
• buck up
• enforce
• energize
• excite
• galvanize
• fortify
• stir
• rally
• quicken
• boost

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• discourage
• dishearten
• daunt
• depress
• undermine
• demoralize
• sadden
• weaken
• dispirit
• debilitate
• intimidate
• hamstring
• enfeeble
• psych (out)

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb hearten differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of hearten are embolden, encourage, and inspirit. While all these words mean "to fill with courage or strength of purpose," hearten implies the lifting of dispiritedness or despondency by an infusion of fresh courage or zeal.

a hospital patient heartened by good news

When can embolden be used instead of hearten?

While in some cases nearly identical to hearten, embolden implies the giving of courage sufficient to overcome timidity or reluctance.

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

When might encourage be a better fit than hearten?

Although the words encourage and hearten have much in common, encourage suggests the raising of one's confidence especially by an external agency.

the teacher's praise encouraged the students to greater efforts

When could inspirit be used to replace hearten?

The words inspirit and hearten are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, inspirit, somewhat literary, implies instilling life, energy, courage, or vigor into something.

patriots inspirited the people to resist

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of hearten

Officials said they were heartened by the speed with which this disinformation and some other harmful falsehoods have been caught during this election cycle. —Melissa Goldin, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2024

The group was heartened by the experience of performing at the first edition of the post-hardcore- and emo-leaning Best Friends Forever festival earlier this month in Las Vegas, where scene peers such as Cap’n Jazz and Sunny Day Real Estate were greeted like visiting royalty. —Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 26 Oct. 2024

Cramer was also heartened by Wells Fargo’s positive commentary about the broader economy. —Julie Coleman, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2024

That’s why patients like Bauder – who has created an online community to share her experience of living with allergies – are heartened by the attention being put on this condition. —Natallie Rocha, The Mercury News, 11 Oct. 2024