Encouraging
/ɪnˈkɜːrɪdʒɪŋ/
adjectiveverbB1present participle
Definition
Encouraging describes something that makes people feel more confident or hopeful. It can be actions, words, or signs that help someone believe they can do well or continue trying. When you encourage someone, you give them support or confidence.
Was this helpful?
⚡ See It in Action
Giving hope or confidence to someone
- •Her teacher’s encouraging words made her study harder.
- •The crowd gave an encouraging cheer to the runners.
- •It was encouraging to see progress after weeks of practice.
Showing signs that something will be successful or good
- •The early sales results are encouraging for the new product.
- •The doctor gave encouraging news about the patient’s recovery.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "encouraging" like "helpful," but it specifically helps your feelings and confidence, not just your actions
- ✓Picture a coach smiling and clapping to make players feel they can win
- ✓It's the feeling you get when a friend tells you "You can do it!" before a test or game
- ✓Sounds like "in-COUR-age-ing" → imagine a court where people cheer you on to give you courage (bravery)
- ✓Remember stories where a hero gets a pep talk that makes them stronger and ready to try again
- ✓NOT like "criticizing" (giving negative feedback), "encouraging" is positive and supportive
- ✓NOT like "forcing" (making someone do something), "encouraging" helps by making someone want to do it themselves
- ✓NOT like "helping" with physical tasks, "encouraging" helps with feelings and motivation
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Supportive: giving emotional help (Use when focusing on emotional or moral help)
- •Motivating: making someone want to do something (Use when focusing on increasing desire or energy)
- •Hopeful: showing signs of good results (Use when talking about signs or feelings of success)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Prefix: en- (to cause or make)
- •Root: courage (bravery, confidence)
- •Suffix: -ing (shows action or describing word)
- •Etymology: From Old French "encoragier," from Latin "cor" meaning heart, so it means to give heart or confidence
- •Historical development: Originally meant to give someone courage or spirit; now also used for positive signs or feelings
- •Modern usage: Used to describe actions, words, or signs that give confidence or hope
💭 Reflect & Connect
•When have you felt encouraged by someone’s words or actions? How did it change what you did next?
•Can something be encouraging even if it is small or indirect? How do small signs of encouragement affect us?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.Her teacher’s encouraging words helped her ___ more confident before the exam.
2.The manager gave an encouraging ___ to the team after the difficult project.
3.Unlike criticism, encouraging feedback makes people want to ___ trying harder.
4.The early sales numbers were encouraging, which made the company ___ new products.
5.She smiled and nodded, giving him an encouraging ___ to continue speaking.
6.When someone is encouraging, they usually ___ others to believe in themselves.
7.The doctor’s encouraging news about recovery gave the family ___ and hope.