embolden

verb

em·​bold·​en im-ˈbōl-dən How to pronounce embolden (audio)
emboldened; emboldening; emboldens

transitive verb

: to impart boldness or courage to : to instill with boldness, courage, or resolution enough to overcome timidity or misgiving
Great leaders embolden the rest of us to rise to our highest potentialities, to be active, insistent and resolute in affirming our own sense of things.Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.
… being near her twin did seem to embolden her, to loosen her tongue.John Updike
… other voices too timid to speak in class are often emboldened by the different and more protected role an online conversation provides.Richard A. Lanham
Choose the Right Synonym for embolden

encourage, inspirit, hearten, embolden mean to fill with courage or strength of purpose.

encourage suggests the raising of one's confidence especially by an external agency.

the teacher's praise encouraged the students to greater efforts

inspirit, somewhat literary, implies instilling life, energy, courage, or vigor into something.

patriots inspirited the people to resist

hearten implies the lifting of dispiritedness or despondency by an infusion of fresh courage or zeal.

a hospital patient heartened by good news

embolden implies the giving of courage sufficient to overcome timidity or reluctance.

emboldened by her first success, she tried an even more difficult climb

Examples of embolden in a Sentence

his poor showing in his first swim meet just emboldened him to train even harder
Recent Examples on the Web There’s no doubt the pickup of Cease lengthens and emboldens the rotation. Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Mar. 2024 Ukrainian victory would embolden other countries to push back against Russian malign influence. Max Bergmann, Foreign Affairs, 6 Mar. 2024 Seemingly emboldened by the Russian conquest of Avdiivka, a former Ukrainian stronghold in eastern Ukraine, the Russian army reportedly shipped some of its best armored vehicles to southern Ukraine in anticipation of a separate offensive. David Axe, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 Because so far his legal battles have only emboldened him. Nbc Universal, NBC News, 18 Feb. 2024 His language was undiplomatic and risked emboldening Russia, which by that point had already invaded both Georgia and Ukraine. The Editors, National Review, 13 Feb. 2024 Narrowly escaping banishment has emboldened Kate in the most obnoxious way possible. Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024 Beyond Wisconsin, some are concerned that such a decision out of a battleground state, on the heals of the ballot access ruling in Colorado, could embolden justices in other states to push the envelope and issue decisions that are akin to setting policy from the bench. Patrick Gleason, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 The events in Gaza have emboldened Israelis in the West Bank, leading to a surge in settler violence against Palestinians there. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'embolden.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of embolden was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near embolden

Cite this Entry

“Embolden.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/embolden. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

embolden

verb
em·​bold·​en im-ˈbōl-dən How to pronounce embolden (audio)
: to make bold

More from Merriam-Webster on embolden

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