encouraging
adjective
en·cour·ag·ing in-ˈkər-i-jiŋ 
-ˈkə-ri-,
en-
: giving hope or promise
encouraging news
encouragingly
in-ˈkər-i-jiŋ-lē
adverb -ˈkə-ri-
en-
Synonyms
- auspicious
- bright
- fair
- golden
- heartening
- hopeful
- likely
- optimistic
- promising
- propitious
- rose-colored
- roseate
- rosy
- upbeat
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
We've just heard some encouraging news. encouraging signs that the economy is improving
Recent Examples on the Web Offensive line bounces back After a particularly rough practice Wednesday trying to protect Herbert, the Chargers’ offensive front rebounded with a more encouraging performance Thursday. 
Jeff Miller, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2022 Other company earnings reports were more encouraging. CBS News, 29 July 2022 Other company earnings reports were more encouraging. Alex Veiga, ajc, 29 July 2022 In 2020 and 2021, shootings and murders increased, but the first six months of 2022 have brought more encouraging trends. Brian Amaral, BostonGlobe.com, 12 July 2022 Mbise also drew attention to more encouraging data points, including the fact that the suicide rate for Alaska’s Black community is lower than rates for other races. Annie Berman, Anchorage Daily News, 8 July 2022 His early production, then, is only more encouraging. Andy Kostka, Baltimore Sun, 21 June 2022 In the world of business travel, things are much more encouraging with corporate travel booming. Amiad Solomon, Forbes, 10 June 2022 For Molyneux, this was among the more encouraging results. The New Republic, 14 Apr. 2022 See More
Jeff Miller, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2022 Other company earnings reports were more encouraging. CBS News, 29 July 2022 Other company earnings reports were more encouraging. Alex Veiga, ajc, 29 July 2022 In 2020 and 2021, shootings and murders increased, but the first six months of 2022 have brought more encouraging trends. Brian Amaral, BostonGlobe.com, 12 July 2022 Mbise also drew attention to more encouraging data points, including the fact that the suicide rate for Alaska’s Black community is lower than rates for other races. Annie Berman, Anchorage Daily News, 8 July 2022 His early production, then, is only more encouraging. Andy Kostka, Baltimore Sun, 21 June 2022 In the world of business travel, things are much more encouraging with corporate travel booming. Amiad Solomon, Forbes, 10 June 2022 For Molyneux, this was among the more encouraging results. The New Republic, 14 Apr. 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
1593, in the meaning defined above
encouraging 1 of 2
adjective
1
as in promising
having qualities which inspire hope encouraging signs that the economy is improving Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- promising
- optimistic
- bright
- hopeful
- heartening
- upbeat
- likely
- reassuring
- positive
- propitious
- fair
- rosy
- auspicious
- cheering
- golden
- comforting
- favorable
- roseate
- good
- soothing
- confident
- assured
- doubtless
- sure
- decisive
- unhesitating
- rose-colored
- bullish
- beamish
- eupeptic
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- discouraging
- desperate
- unlikely
- depressing
- dark
- pessimistic
- hopeless
- dismal
- gloomy
- bleak
- disheartening
- unpromising
- inauspicious
- dreary
- doubtful
- uncertain
- negative
- cheerless
- dubious
- unencouraging
- downbeat
- unfavorable
- unpropitious
- grim
- comfortless
- gray
- bearish
- miserable
- grey
- wretched
- glum
- funereal
2
as in comforting
making one feel good inside the encouraging story of a young girl who overcame great social and physical obstacles to become an outstanding athlete Synonyms & Similar Words
- comforting
- rewarding
- welcoming
- inspiring
- loving
- gratifying
- fulfilling
- cheering
- satisfying
- heartening
- warm
- uplifting
- heartwarming
- moving
- affecting
- pleasing
- gladdening
- touching
- elevating
- sympathetic
- kind
- exciting
- edifying
- inspiriting
- stimulating
- invigorating
- poignant
- thrilling
- stirring
- exhilarating
- kindly
- enlivening
- rousing
- animating
- pleasurable
- tender
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- discouraging
- demoralizing
- depressing
- disheartening
- dispiriting
- disappointing
- saddening
- heartbreaking
- disturbing
- cheerless
- displeasing
- upsetting
- dissatisfying
- disconcerting
- dismaying
- distressing
- discomforting
- heartrending
- unpleasant
- unkind
- unfriendly
- disgruntling
- cold
- unloving
- unfeeling
3
as in favorable
pointing toward a happy outcome we're off to an encouraging start on this project Synonyms & Similar Words
- promising
- favorable
- hopeful
- happy
- bright
- heartening
- beneficial
- lucky
- golden
- propitious
- fortunate
- auspicious
- profitable
- advantageous
- prosperous
- fortuitous
- providential
- salutary
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- discouraging
- unfavorable
- hopeless
- disheartening
- unpromising
- unfortunate
- dim
- inauspicious
- unhappy
- unpropitious
- unlucky
- disastrous
- fatal
- catastrophic
- threatening
- ruinous
- futureless
- calamitous
- ill
- ominous
- sinister
- dark
- menacing
- gloomy
- dire
- portentous
- foreboding
- baleful
- minatory
- direful
- doomy
- ill-boding
encouraging
2 of 2verb
1
as in inspiring
to fill with courage or strength of purpose a pep talk that encouraged the team to get out there and win Synonyms & Similar Words
- inspiring
- stimulating
- reinforcing
- heartening
- emboldening
- inspiriting
- reassuring
- provoking
- strengthening
- invigorating
- enforcing
- enlivening
- assuring
- bearing up
- steeling
- animating
- exciting
- rallying
- buoying (up)
- energizing
- chirking (up)
- cheering (up)
- bucking up
- stirring
- galvanizing
- reenforcing
- fortifying
- boosting
- quickening
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- discouraging
- daunting
- disheartening
- undermining
- depressing
- demoralizing
- weakening
- intimidating
- dispiriting
- debilitating
- saddening
- hamstringing
- enfeebling
- psyching (out)
2
as in promoting
to help the growth or development of asserted that the government should be encouraging small businesses, not smothering them with regulations Synonyms & Similar Words
- promoting
- nurturing
- fostering
- cultivating
- furthering
- advancing
- forwarding
- assisting
- supporting
- nourishing
- advocating
- incubating
- endorsing
- aiding
- championing
- patronizing
- nursing
- funding
- upholding
- backing
- subsidizing
- financing
- underwriting
- abetting
- advertising
- indorsing
- publicizing
- boosting
- staking
- touting
- endowing
- plugging
- working (for)
- agitating (for)
- campaigning (for)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- discouraging
- preventing
- hindering
- inhibiting
- prohibiting
- forbidding
- frustrating
- opposing
- banning
- enjoining
- proscribing
- fighting
- combating
- outlawing
- barring
- countering
- combatting
- interdicting
- suppressing
- checking
- stifling
- battling
- contending (with)
- repressing
- squelching
- subduing
- arresting
- halting
- retarding
- squashing
- impeding
- obstructing
- interfering (with)
- hobbling
- encumbering
- snuffing (out)
- shackling
- manacling
- fettering
3
as in provoking
to rouse to strong feeling or action the movie's cheap special effects will not encourage audiences to sit on the edge of their seats but to roll in the aisles with laughter Synonyms & Similar Words
- provoking
- stimulating
- inspiring
- motivating
- stirring
- moving
- exciting
- arousing
- inciting
- sparking
- inducing
- instigating
- driving
- triggering
- piquing
- motiving
- impassioning
- bothering
- energizing
- activating
- igniting
- galvanizing
- angering
- fanning
- enraging
- revving (up)
- vitalizing
- firing (up)
- animating
- abetting
- getting
- inflaming
- quickening
- upsetting
- taunting
- teasing
- fomenting
- kindling
- building a fire under
- raising
- maddening
- annoying
- setting off
- irritating
- exasperating
- aggravating
- jeering
- fermenting
- enflaming
- pumping up
- vexing
- galling
- keying (up)
- whipping (up)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- calming
- soothing
- subduing
- placating
- appeasing
- tranquilizing
- pacifying
- mollifying
- tranquillizing
4
as in urging
to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action the pastor continues to encourage the couple to work out their problems in hopes of saving their marriage Synonyms & Similar Words
- urging
- nudging
- spurring
- prompting
- exhorting
- pushing
- coaxing
- goading
- prodding
- propelling
- provoking
- stimulating
- driving
- imploring
- pressing
- beseeching
- pressuring
- cajoling
- hurrying
- rushing
- hustling
- egging (on)
- inciting
- importuning
- wheedling
- instigating
- adjuring
- nagging
- fomenting
- needling
- blandishing
- high-pressuring
- soft-soaping
- stirring (up)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- discouraging
- deterring
- dissuading
- checking
- curbing
- restraining
- inhibiting
- constraining
- braking
- holding back