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encourage

encourageverb

American /ɪn.ˈkɝ.ɪdʒ/ British /ɪn.ˈkʌr.ɪdʒ/ The stress is on the second part: in-KUR-ij.

third-person singular encourages past tense encouraged past participle encouraged present participle encouraging

very commondefining vocabulary

give confidencegive someone support or hope so that they feel able to do something
transitive [T] verb + object + to-infinitive [V + obj + to-inf] verb + object [V + obj]
- My parents always encouraged me to follow my dreams. V + obj + to-inf
- The teacher encouraged the students to ask questions. V + obj + to-inf
- Her kind words really encouraged him. V + obj
- We were encouraged by the good news. V + obj (passive: feel more hopeful)
Collocations
adverb + verb strongly encourage, actively encourage, greatly encourage
verb + noun encourage students, encourage children, encourage young people
Synonyms support
Antonyms discourage
make more likelymake something more likely to happen, grow, or develop
transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj] verb + object + to-infinitive [V + obj + to-inf]
- Warm, wet weather encourages the growth of plants. V + obj
- Low prices encourage people to buy more. V + obj + to-inf
- The new rules are meant to encourage saving. V + obj
Collocations
verb + noun encourage growth, encourage competition, encourage investment, encourage good habits
Synonyms promote
Antonyms discourage; prevent

Word family

encouragement
encouraging
discourage
courage

Common mistakes

My mother encouraged me study harder. My mother encouraged me to study harder.
Encourage is followed by an object and to plus a verb.

He encouraged me for applying for the job. He encouraged me to apply for the job.
Use to plus a verb, not for plus an -ing form.

For translators

Grammar trap Encourage takes a person and then to plus a verb: encourage someone to try. A clause beginning with that is unusual after it.

Pronunciation trap Encourage has its stress on the second part, in-KUR-ij. The last part is a short ij; it is not said like the word age.