[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

encouraging \encour"aging\, a.
   furnishing ground to hope; inspiriting; favoring. --
   encour"agingly, adv.
   1913 webster
see also:
encour"agingly 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

encourage \encour"age\ ?; 48, v. t. imp.  p. p.
   encouraged ?; 48; p. pr.  vb. n. encouraging. f.
   encourager; pref. en- l. in + courage courage. see
   courage.
   to give courage to; to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope;
   to raise, or to increase, the confidence of; to animate;
   enhearten; to incite; to help forward; -- the opposite of
   discourage.
   1913 webster

         david encouraged himself in the lord.    --1 sam. xxx.
                                                  6.

   syn: to embolden; inspirit; animate; enhearten; hearten;
        incite; cheer; urge; impel; stimulate; instigate;
        countenance; comfort; promote; advance; forward;
        strengthen.
        1913 webster
see also:
encouraged encouraging courage discourage 

[3] : WordNet (r) 2.0

encouraging
     adj 1: giving courage or confidence or hope; "encouraging advances
            in medical research" ant: discouraging
     2: furnishing support and encouragement; "the anxious child
        needs supporting and accepting treatment from the teacher"
        syn: supporting
     3: tending to favor or bring good luck; "miracles are
        auspicious accidents"; "encouraging omens"; "a favorable
        time to ask for a raise"; "lucky stars"; "a prosperous
        moment to make a decision" syn: auspicious, favorable,
         favourable, lucky, prosperous
see also:
discouraging supporting auspicious favorable favourable lucky 
prosperous 

[4] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

57 moby thesaurus words for "encouraging":
   alluring, animating, assuring, auspicious, bright with promise,
   challenging, cheerful, cheering, cheery, comforting, condolatory,
   condolent, condoling, consolatory, consoling, couleur de rose,
   energizing, enlivening, exciting, exhilarating, favorable,
   full of promise, galvanic, galvanizing, glad, gladdening,
   heart-warming, heartening, hospitable, inspiring, inspiriting,
   invigorating, inviting, joyful, likely, looking up,
   of good comfort, of promise, piquant, pregnant of good, promising,
   prompting, propitious, provocative, provoking, reassuring,
   relieving, rose-colored, roseate, rosy, rousing, stimulant,
   stimulating, stimulative, stirring, supportive, sympathetic

Encouraging >> E Words
Encouraging, definition of term: Encouraging
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