Cambridge Cambridge English Dictionaries Online, the web's favourite learner dictionaries
  • Link to us
  • View basket
  • Help

Definition
A keyword: an important word to learn encourage   Show phonetics
verb [T]
1 MAKE DO/HAPPEN to make someone more likely to do something, or make something more likely to happen
[+ to do sth] My parents encouraged me to try new things.
Cutting back plants will encourage growth.

2 GIVE CONFIDENCE/HOPE to give someone confidence or hope
My parents encouraged me when things weren't going well at school.
Opposite discourage
encouragement noun [C,U]
Children need lots of encouragement from their parents.

The first and last word in dictionaries