hearten
verb
heart·en ˈhär-tᵊn 
heartened; heartening ˈhärt-niŋ
ˈhär-tᵊn-iŋ
transitive verb
: to give heart to : cheer
hearteningly
ˈhärt-niŋ-lē
adverb ˈhär-tᵊn-iŋ-
Synonyms
- bear up
- buck up
- buoy (up)
- cheer (up)
- chirk (up)
- embolden
- encourage
- inspire
- inspirit
- steel
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
The team's victory has heartened its fans. thinking we were hopelessly lost, we were heartened by the sight of a familiar farmhouse
Recent Examples on the Web This design feature, this core consequence of the Islamic creed, should hearten democrats and deject despots. 
Haroon Moghul, CNN, 29 Apr. 2022 That had to hearten theater operators, who could use a few more wins of whatever scale after 20 months of brutal pandemic punishment. David Bloom, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2021 This summer’s book club lineup features two authors with riveting, intensely personal stories that resonate and hearten in these strange times of pandemic and recovery. Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2021 It’s a finding that will hearten leaders, including Biden, who seek to breathe fresh life into NATO next week. Washington Post, 10 June 2021 The whole episode should hearten the lawyers who defended Carlson against a 2019 defamation case. Washington Post, 29 Apr. 2021 Some questions had answers, but ones that may not hearten those struggling to get benefits. Carolyn Said, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 Feb. 2021 And while Nunez-Smith is less known in political circles, her role in creating a leading program to promote health equity will hearten those concerned about Covid’s impact on communities of color. John Tozzi, Bloomberg.com, 10 Nov. 2020 But no matter how profitable the Io turns out to be, the very fact that Binx and other companies are trying to bring products like this to market is heartening from a public health perspective. Mark Hay, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2020 See More
Haroon Moghul, CNN, 29 Apr. 2022 That had to hearten theater operators, who could use a few more wins of whatever scale after 20 months of brutal pandemic punishment. David Bloom, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2021 This summer’s book club lineup features two authors with riveting, intensely personal stories that resonate and hearten in these strange times of pandemic and recovery. Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2021 It’s a finding that will hearten leaders, including Biden, who seek to breathe fresh life into NATO next week. Washington Post, 10 June 2021 The whole episode should hearten the lawyers who defended Carlson against a 2019 defamation case. Washington Post, 29 Apr. 2021 Some questions had answers, but ones that may not hearten those struggling to get benefits. Carolyn Said, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 Feb. 2021 And while Nunez-Smith is less known in political circles, her role in creating a leading program to promote health equity will hearten those concerned about Covid’s impact on communities of color. John Tozzi, Bloomberg.com, 10 Nov. 2020 But no matter how profitable the Io turns out to be, the very fact that Binx and other companies are trying to bring products like this to market is heartening from a public health perspective. Mark Hay, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2020 See More Word History
First Known Use
1524, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
hearten
verb
heart·en ˈhär-tᵊn
heartened; heartening
: to give new hope or courage to The win heartened the team's fans.
heartening 1 of 2
adjective
1
as in promising
having qualities which inspire hope a heartening visit to the hospital, where the patient was alert and sitting up Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- promising
- bright
- optimistic
- encouraging
- hopeful
- reassuring
- upbeat
- likely
- propitious
- fair
- rosy
- auspicious
- positive
- golden
- comforting
- roseate
- cheering
- good
- favorable
- soothing
- doubtless
- sure
- confident
- assured
- decisive
- rose-colored
- unhesitating
- bullish
- beamish
- eupeptic
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- disheartening
- discouraging
- unlikely
- depressing
- desperate
- dark
- bleak
- dismal
- pessimistic
- hopeless
- gloomy
- unpromising
- dreary
- inauspicious
- uncertain
- doubtful
- cheerless
- negative
- downbeat
- unpropitious
- dubious
- grim
- unfavorable
- unencouraging
- gray
- comfortless
- grey
- bearish
- miserable
- glum
- funereal
- wretched
2
as in encouraging
making one feel good inside hearing how his students still appreciated him after all those years was heartening to the music teacher Synonyms & Similar Words
- encouraging
- comforting
- gratifying
- rewarding
- heartwarming
- cheering
- fulfilling
- inspiring
- satisfying
- welcoming
- loving
- gladdening
- warm
- uplifting
- affecting
- moving
- touching
- pleasing
- poignant
- kind
- exciting
- inspiriting
- thrilling
- sympathetic
- edifying
- invigorating
- exhilarating
- elevating
- stirring
- rousing
- kindly
- enlivening
- stimulating
- animating
- pleasurable
- tender
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- disheartening
- discouraging
- depressing
- dispiriting
- demoralizing
- saddening
- disappointing
- heartbreaking
- disconcerting
- dismaying
- disturbing
- heartrending
- distressing
- cheerless
- displeasing
- upsetting
- dissatisfying
- discomforting
- unpleasant
- unkind
- disgruntling
- cold
- unfriendly
- unfeeling
- unloving
3
as in hopeful
pointing toward a happy outcome the accomplishments of the first day were a heartening start to our renovation of the house Synonyms & Similar Words
- encouraging
- promising
- hopeful
- favorable
- bright
- happy
- lucky
- fortunate
- golden
- propitious
- beneficial
- auspicious
- salutary
- profitable
- advantageous
- fortuitous
- providential
- prosperous
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- disheartening
- discouraging
- unfavorable
- hopeless
- unfortunate
- dim
- unpromising
- unpropitious
- inauspicious
- unhappy
- unlucky
- fatal
- disastrous
- catastrophic
- futureless
- calamitous
- ruinous
- ominous
- sinister
- threatening
- dark
- dire
- gloomy
- ill
- menacing
- portentous
- foreboding
- minatory
- baleful
- direful
- doomy
- ill-boding
heartening
2 of 2verb
as in inspiring
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
- encouraging
- inspiring
- inspiriting
- emboldening
- stimulating
- reassuring
- reinforcing
- invigorating
- enlivening
- bearing up
- steeling
- provoking
- exciting
- animating
- buoying (up)
- rallying
- energizing
- chirking (up)
- assuring
- enforcing
- galvanizing
- strengthening
- cheering (up)
- bucking up
- stirring
- fortifying
- quickening
- reenforcing
- boosting
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- discouraging
- disheartening
- daunting
- depressing
- dispiriting
- undermining
- demoralizing
- saddening
- weakening
- intimidating
- debilitating
- hamstringing
- enfeebling
- psyching (out)