embolden
Other forms: emboldened; emboldens; emboldening
To embolden someone is to inspire them. You might embolden your brother to try out for a play by enthusiastically praising his singing and dancing abilities.
Shy kids sometimes need a friend or a teacher who will embolden them to speak up for themselves, and a good grade in a difficult class will embolden a student to attempt more challenging courses. When you cheer up a friend or encourage a coworker, you embolden those people. To embolden is "to make bold," from the Old English root word beald, which means "brave, confident, or strong."
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give encouragement to
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Vocabulary lists containing embolden
Mariam and Laila belong to different generations, but they develop a deep bond as their home city of Kabul, Afghanistan becomes more dangerous.
No time to scour the headlines or watch the news? No problem! We’ve rounded up the top words heard, read, debated, and discussed this week. This week's top news items were in many respects related to the aftermath of last week. Since Charlottesville, the atmosphere around the White House has been fraught with an almost visceral tension, with former allies denouncing the president, and his opponents feeling emboldened. Many people were also still reeling from the atrocity of the terror attack in Barcelona last week. For comfort, we looked to the skies to enjoy the spectacle of a solar eclipse, an rare and captivating sight. We also remembered all the joy that Jerry Lewis and Dick Gregory brought into our lives. Take a look back at the week that was, vocabulary style.
After being diagnosed with terminal cancer, professor Randy Pausch wrote this inspirational book about achieving one's dreams.