hearten

Things that hearten you cheer you up. A welcome home party will hearten even the weariest traveler.

  • Pronunciation: / 'hɑrtn/
  • English description: give encouragement to
  • Synonyms: cheer
  • Chinese Translation: 鼓励(gu3 li4)
  • Spanish Translation: alentar
  • ORIGIN: You might buy flowers for your grandmother to hearten her after a difficult week, or hearten a shy tap dancer with applause after his routine. Things that encourage or inspire, whether it's the sight of your dog waiting for you outside school or another person's success, can also be said to hearten. The figurative meaning of heart — as in "losing heart" or having a "change of heart" — is at the root of hearten, from the Old English heorte, "heart, soul, or spirit."

EXAMPLE SENTENCE:

  • The most heartening comments I received last week were those from readers who understood that.
  • But a friend was heartened to know that she had an extra month to fit into her dress.

*New word description, story and part of "EXAMPLE SENTENCE" are cited in Vocabulary