encouraging

1 of 2

adjective

en·​cour·​ag·​ing in-ˈkər-i-jiŋ How to pronounce encouraging (audio)
-ˈkə-ri-, 
en-
Synonyms of encouragingnext
: giving hope or promise
encouraging news
encouragingly
in-ˈkər-i-jiŋ-lē How to pronounce encouraging (audio)
-ˈkə-ri-, 
en-
adverb

encouraging

2 of 2

present participle of encourage

Synonyms of encouraging

Relevance

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of encouraging in a Sentence

Adjective We've just heard some encouraging news. encouraging signs that the economy is improving
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
While this figure appears to add a bright spot to an otherwise weak employment report, the underlying cause is far from encouraging. — CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 At safety, Chamarri Conner and Alohi Gilman are the starters, and Jaden Hicks has had an encouraging preseason. — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2026 Today, the same team has found another encouraging association between the shot and a reduced risk of heart disease. — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 26 Aug. 2026 Nico’s defensive metrics were also encouraging, with his aerial volume (89 out of 99), loose-ball recoveries (82 out of 99) and tackle success (81 out of 99) all strong. — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for encouraging

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1593, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of encouraging was in 1593

Rhymes for encouraging

See All Rhymes for encouraging

Browse Nearby Words

encourager
encouraging
Encratism
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Encouraging.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encouraging. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All