1. Giving courage or confidence or hope
   "encouraging advances in medical research" 
2. Furnishing support and encouragement
   - supporting

1. Contribute to the progress or growth of
   - promote, advance, boost, further 
2. Inspire with confidence; give hope or courage to 
3. Spur on
   "His financial success encouraged him to look for a wife"

See also: encouragement, encouragingly, exhortative, exhortatory, heartening, helpful, hopeful, hortative, hortatory, inspiriting, promotive, rallying, reassuring, supportive

Type of: animate, back up, cause, enliven, exalt, get, have, induce, inspire, invigorate, make, stimulate, support

Antonym: discourage, discouraging

• golf ball
• golf caddie
• golf cap
• golf course
• golf equipment
• golf game
• golf glove
• golf hole
• golf lesson
• golf links
• golf player
• golf pro
• golf range
• golf shot
• golf stroke
• golf tee
• golf widow
• golf-club
• golf-club head
• golfcart
• golfer
• golfing
• Golfo de Campeche
• Golfo de Mexico
• Golgi