Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Giving courage, confidence, or hope.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Furnishing ground to hope; inspiriting; favoring.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective giving courage, confidence or hope
  • adjective supporting by giving encouragement
  • adjective auspicious, or bringing good luck
  • verb Present participle of encourage.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective furnishing support and encouragement
  • adjective giving courage or confidence or hope

Etymologies

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Examples

  • To say the news coming out of the Gulf is not what you call encouraging is like saying it's been a rough week for Dennis Hopper.

    Will Durst: The Brightside of the BP Oil Spill 2010

  • To say the news coming out of the Gulf is not what you call encouraging is like saying it's been a rough week for Dennis Hopper.

    Will Durst: The Brightside of the BP Oil Spill Will Durst 2010

  • To say the news coming out of the Gulf is not what you call encouraging is like saying it's been a rough week for Dennis Hopper.

    Will Durst: The Brightside of the BP Oil Spill 2010

  • Researchers are touting what they call encouraging results from trials of a vaccine for HIV.

    CNN Transcript Sep 24, 2009 2009

  • Nevertheless, we heard President Bush today talk about positive news, what he called encouraging news out of Iraq in the past month -- the president noting that in his brief statement today -- but also warning that some of the progress that's been made could change.

    CNN Transcript Jul 31, 2008 2008

  • You heard what Ephraim Sneh just said, that the Palestinian Authority has to follow up what he described as encouraging words from Mr. Arafat, has to follow up with deeds.

    CNN Transcript Dec 16, 2001 2001

  • The tone the department is trying to set is more accurately reflected by the word "encouraging," he suggested.

    The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed HELEN BRANSWELL 2011

  • The tone the department is trying to set is more accurately reflected by the word "encouraging," he suggested.

    The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed HELEN BRANSWELL 2011

  • Seriously ill patients will be encouraged to provide detailed information on how they wish to die on the new system which will be available to those involved in their treatment. article for The Daily Telegraph today, Simon Burns, a health minister, backs the scheme which he describes as "encouraging" because it will help ensure a more "dignified death" for hundreds of thousands of people.

    Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph Robert Winnett 2011

  • WASHINGTON -- After losing Saturday's Nevada caucus race, Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich sought solace in what he called an encouraging statistic: that his supporters were turning out to vote more enthusiastically than those of his chief rival, Mitt Romney.

    The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com AP 2012

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