fillip to morale
- noun
- UK
- Her encouraging speech was a real fillip to morale during tough times.
Examples
-
A surprise bonus acted as a fillip to morale in the company.
-
Winning the local championship provided a much-needed fillip to morale among the team members.
-
The surprise party was a wonderful fillip to morale!
-
A small victory can serve as a fillip to morale during tough times.
-
Her encouraging speech was a real fillip to morale during tough times.
-
Winning the local championship provided a much-needed fillip to morale among the team members.
-
A surprise bonus acted as a fillip to morale in the company.
Synonyms
Something that makes people feel more confident and positive
Something that makes a group feel more confident and happy
Antonyms
How Uplifting
- UK
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a boost or improvement in morale' is directly derivable from the constituents: 'fillip' (something that stimulates or boosts) combined with 'to' linking it to 'morale' (group confidence and enthusiasm). This is a regular noun + to + noun construction expressing an effect on morale, so a learner who knows the constituent words can readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Fillip to morale comes from the word fillip, a small quick flick of the finger that gives a tiny push, like tapping something to start it moving. So a fillip to morale is a small, sudden action that gives a quick 'boost' to people's 'morale'.