to embolden

Examples

• All

• It made me feel emboldened in a way to help people.

• Emboldened by the BBC success in '66, American investors backed not one but two professional US soccer leagues.

  Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos (2006)

• Use this moment to encourage you, to embolden you, and to literally push you into the rising of your life.

  Evan Carmichael

• We emboldened the people to stop paying him money for protection.

  Kill Boro (2024)

• The inquiry aspect of the program also emboldens students who have had little experience in asking questions.

  Academic text (1993)

• Because they received immediate feedback, the designers were emboldened to experiment even more.

  Academic text (2005)

• Poetry soothes and emboldens the soul to accept mystery.

  Bright Star (2009)

• Emboldened by their success, GM's CEO, Roger Smith, challenged the same design team to build a prototype for a practical electric car.

  Who Killed the Electric Car? (2006)

• The opposition may become emboldened if it senses a real possibility of unseating the PNDC.

  Academic text (1991)

• "Well, all that I don't have at home," said Andrews, emboldened by their friendliness.

  Fiction book (1997)

Synonyms

E

to encourage

vsto embolden

∞ 2.3

Give someone support and confidence so they try or keep doing something

adds courage to attempt something rather than general support

I

to inspire

vsto embolden

837 3.2

Cause someone to feel excited and ready to act

aims at general motivation rather than specifically increasing courage to act

E

to empower

vsto embolden

157 4.2

Give someone the power and confidence to do something

focuses more on courage alone rather than granting power or authority

B

to buck up

vsto embolden

• Informal

14 6.3

To become or make someone more cheerful and confident

gives courage to take action rather than casual cheer or pep

H

to hearten

vsto embolden

13 5.5

Make someone feel happier or more confident

brings courage to act rather than mainly lifting spirits

B

to bolster confidence

vsto embolden

1 4.0

To make someone feel more sure of themselves

gives courage to act rather than only raising inner assurance

Antonyms

D

to discourage

257 3.5

To try to stop something by making people less willing to do it

D

to dissuade

35 6.0

To try to stop someone from doing something by talking to them

How Confident

to empower

157 4.2

to embolden

40 6.3

to encourage

∞ 2.3

to hearten

13 5.5

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology